The first meeting of the Monitoring Committee for the 2023-2027 PAC Strategic Plan took place in the Aula Magna hall of the "Gheorghe Ionescu-Șișești" Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences.

In his opening remarks, Minister Petre DAEA, as the President of the Monitoring Committee, provided a brief update on the implementation of the 2023-2027 PAC Strategic Plan.

"This meeting of a highly important body, through its advisory role, sets forth a formidable strategic objective that addresses the path we must follow in the country's agriculture and rural areas over a period of five years," said Minister Petre DAEA.

In his opening speech, Minister Petre DAEA expressed gratitude to the representatives of the European Commission for their support throughout the negotiation and approval process of the 2023-2027 PAC Strategic Plan, which took place in 2022 and was finalized with the approval decision of the European Commission on December 7, 2022.

Furthermore, the Minister appreciated the support of all the partners involved in participating in the consultations organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR) for the development of the Strategic Plan, as well as for the proposals and suggestions provided during the debates, as they contributed to the strengthening of the programming document.

"Romania is implementing the post-2023 CAP through the Strategic Plan, with measures aimed at developing a resilient, sustainable, and competitive agricultural sector, which aims to ensure fair income for farmers, reward farmers who contribute to environmental protection beyond the basic requirements, develop deficit sectors, and achieve balanced socio-economic development in rural areas," said Petre DAEA, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The 2023-2027 CAP Strategic Plan includes a series of interventions targeting the Romanian agricultural sector, both in the form of direct payments based on land area funded by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF), and in the form of grants for investment projects funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), with a total allocation of 15.83 billion euros.

Minister DAEA emphasized the need for institutional connections to face new challenges, stating that the current constraints arising from the 2023-2027 CAP Strategic Plan require us to make necessary adjustments.

Petre DAEA recalled the stages following the approval of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) for its implementation through two important directions: launching the "Knowledge Caravan" to inform the stakeholders involved in the NSP implementation and the institutions under the coordination of MADR about the priorities and funding opportunities for the period 2023-2027, in order to disseminate specific information related to accessing European funds.

The second direction for the implementation of the NSP focused on the development of normative acts, and in this regard, Minister Petre DAEA mentioned that the normative acts and all the legislative aspects related to the NSP were completed on time and thanked everyone for their contribution.

The Minister expressed hope that, together with all the actors involved, the construction plan for the post-2027 CAP can be designed with patience and attention, and in this context, the Minister referred to the 4S that should represent the fundamental pillars of the future CAP: sustainability, security, stability, and safety. Additionally, Petre DAEA highlighted that the CAP represents the assurance and stability of state policies in the agricultural sector.

The meeting agenda also included other topics of interest, such as:

• Presentation of the structure and role of the Monitoring Committee and working groups.
• Approval of the Organization and Functioning Regulations of the PAC Strategic Plan Monitoring Committee (CM PS PAC) and the Working Groups (GL) established within the CM PS PAC, and determination of their composition.
• Presentation of the estimated timetable for

• Presentation of the estimated calendar for launching the application submission sessions related to the interventions under Pillar II of the Strategic Plan for CAP 2023-2027 in 2023.
• Presentation of the main provisions regarding the project selection methodology for interventions under Pillar II of the Strategic Plan.
• Presentation of the typologies for modifying strategic plans.