The heads of EU paying agencies will convene in Helsinki on 12–14 November 2019. The meeting is part of the programme of Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU. The meeting will be hosted by Matti Puolimatka, Deputy Director General, Rural Areas Division, of the Finnish Food Authority.
Paying agencies are responsible for the payment of agricultural subsidies and rural development financing under EU’s Common Agricultural Policy in their respective Member States and for the related supervision and data systems. The Finnish Food Authority serves the paying agency in Finland, paying out a total of EUR 2 billion in subsidies annually. Agricultural and rural financing have significant societal effects. The financing safeguards domestic food production, supports the development of Finnish agrifood production and creates preconditions for entrepreneurship and living in rural areas. The financing of agriculture and rural development account for around two thirds of the EU funding received by Finland.
In the meeting, the heads of paying agencies will discuss good practices related to the administration, payment and supervision of subsidies. The meeting will address the utilisation of active networking in the implementation of the agricultural policy, the effect of data security matters on the operation of paying agencies, and the role of young farmers in the implementation of the agricultural policy and the future success of European agriculture. The discussions will also address the upcoming EU funding period, the plans relating to which are still under preparation in the Member States.
“The paying agency operations make it possible to set effectiveness targets for agriculture and rural development. The joint meetings provides a good opportunity for sharing the good practices of different countries and for presenting development targets for the EU Commission. The objective is to secure the success of a Finnish agricultural and rural entrepreneur,” says Deputy Director General Matti Puolimatka.
Further information:
Deputy Director General Matti Puolimatka
+358 40 762 5126
Director of Agriculture Department Jukka Pekonniemi
+358 40 540 1963
firstname.lastname@ruokavirasto.fi