On Tuesday, 9 June, the government approved amendments prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture to the Cabinet of Ministers regulations on the procedure for granting, administering, and monitoring state and EU support for rural and fisheries development. The aim of the amendments is to reduce the administrative burden for beneficiaries, simplify project implementation requirements, and ensure a more proportionate approach to the evaluation of applicants for support.
From now on, the requirement to compare at least two offers or conduct a price survey will apply to procurements starting from EUR 10,000 instead of EUR 2,000 as previously. This will significantly simplify low-value procurement procedures and reduce the administrative burden on beneficiaries.
The amendments also provide for a revision of the application of the status of an undertaking in difficulty. In the future, this criterion will be assessed only in those support interventions where it is mandatorily required under EU state aid rules. This will reduce the administrative burden and expand access to support in measures where this requirement is not obligatory.
To promote a more proportionate approach to the assessment of irregularities, the amendments introduce a mechanism for restoring eligibility. In certain cases, this will allow the Rural Support Service to assess whether restrictions imposed on a beneficiary may be reduced or lifted, provided that the beneficiary has remedied the consequences of the irregularity, repaid the ineligible funds or agreed on a repayment plan, and implemented measures to prevent similar irregularities in the future.
In addition, several technical clarifications have been made to the regulation. Requirements have been updated regarding the registration of vehicles, agricultural machinery, vessels, and unmanned aerial vehicles; provisions for the commissioning of buildings have been clarified, as well as rules on tax debt assessment and project documentation submission. Other technical amendments have also been introduced to ensure more efficient administration of support.
The amendments to Regulation No. 113 “General Procedure for the Granting, Administration and Monitoring of State and European Union Support for Rural and Fisheries Development” will enter into force on the day following their publication in the official gazette "Latvijas Vēstnesis".
