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Aid scheme for producers of herbs

Government Decision (HG) no. 652/2021 on the approval of the program to support the production of aromatic plants for 2021 was published in the Official Gazette no. 610 of June 18, 2021.

Basically HG 652/2021 is the act that contains the program to support the production of aromatic plants in 2021.

Thus, those who can request money from the state until June 30, 2021 are individual agricultural producers who have a producer certificate issued under Law 145/2014 (to establish measures to regulate the market of agricultural products), agricultural producers authorized natural persons, individual enterprises or family enterprises, but also agricultural producers legal entities.

We specify that the de minimis aid scheme is applied on the entire territory of Romania in 2021, in order to support the production of the following aromatic plants:

  1. a) basil;
  2. b) thyme;
  3. c) coriander;
  4. d) fennel;
  5. e) mustard.

 

Conditions to be met for receiving de minimis aid for the production of aromatic plants:

  • applicants to be registered in the Unique Identification Register and to have a unique registration code assigned by the Agency for Payments and Intervention for Agriculture (APIA)
  • to use a cumulative surface of at least 1ha cultivated exclusively with one of the coriander, fennel or mustard crops or a cumulative surface of at least 0.5ha cultivated exclusively with one of the basil or thyme crops;
  • to obtain the minimum productions corresponding to the established culture (4,000 kg fresh plant / 0.5 ha or 650 kg dry plant / 0.5 ha for basil; 4,000 kg fresh plant / 0.5 ha or 1,000 kg dry plant / 0.5 ha for thyme; 800 kg seed / ha for coriander; 650 kg seed / ha for fennel; 950 kg seed / ha for mustard);
  • to be registered in the records of the Agricultural Register opened at the town halls in whose radius are the surfaces cultivated with aromatic plants;
  • to prove the obtaining of the minimum production achieved by supporting documents.

 

We mention that the proof of obtaining the production of aromatic plants, according to HG 652/2021, is the sales contract accompanied by the invoice or the tab from the trading book of products from the agricultural sector. In the situation where the beneficiary also has the quality of user of the production, he proves the obtaining of the minimum production through internal accounting documents.

In case of non-compliance by the beneficiaries of the conditions provided above, they are obliged to reimburse the value of the de minimis aid, to which are added interest and delay penalties calculated from the date of its collection until the date of full recovery, according to Law no.500 / 2002 on public finances, with subsequent amendments and completions, and Law no. 207/2015 on the Fiscal Procedure Code, with subsequent amendments and completions.

It is very important to emphasize that the financial support of the state is granted for a single culture, not for several, and is paid in a single tranche granted this year.

The aid amount is determined according to the cultivated area, as follows:

  • basil: 2,600 euro / ha, but not less than 0.5 ha;
  • thyme: 3,400 euro / ha, but not less than 0.5 ha;
  • coriander: 100 euro / ha;
  • fennel: 200 euro / ha;
  • mustard: 150 euro / ha.

 

The value of the de minimis aid is granted to the beneficiaries in proportion to the area actually cultivated and is expressed in lei, at the exchange rate of 4.8725 lei for one euro, established by the European Central Bank on September 30, 2020.

The total amount of de minimis aid granted to a single enterprise / enterprises may not exceed the amount of 20,000 euros during three financial years, during the current financial year, respectively the year of submitting the application for enrollment in the program, and in the two previous financial years.

In order to apply for state aid, the application form attached to HG 652/2021 (Annex 1) is used. The document is submitted to the territorial centers of APIA until June 30, 2021, together with:

  • copy of the identity document of the applicant or of the legal representative, if the application is submitted by legal representative / proxy;
  • copy of the manufacturer’s certificate valid until December 31, 2021;
  • power of attorney / notarial power of attorney and a copy of the identity document of the legal representative, as the case may be;
  • copy of the registration certificate at the National Office of the Trade Register / National Register of associations and foundations or of the act based on which it carries out its activity;
  • proof of an active account with a bank or the Treasury;
  • the original certificate from the Agricultural Register according to the documents related to 2021, which certifies the land area used by the applicant and cultivated with aromatic plants, based on any legal act that confers the right to use the land in question.

The registration file can be sent electronically or by mail or courier. Documents submitted electronically must be signed and dated, and copies must be certified “according to the original” by applicants.

Subsequently, the producers accepted in the program must notify the representatives of the Agency for Payments and Intervention for Agriculture (APIA), by e-mail, fax or post, at least ten working days before the date on which the harvest of aromatic plants will begin.

The supporting documents must be submitted by October 15, 2021.

The electronic register for managing the applications for enrollment in the Program to support the production of aromatic plants, as well as the documentation submitted for accessing it is kept at the local / county centers APIA and, respectively, of Bucharest, for a period of 10 fiscal years from the date on which the de minimis aid was paid.

APIA centrally publishes on the institution’s website the List of beneficiaries of de minimis aid and the amounts granted according to HG 542/2021.

According to the current provisions, the de minimis aid granted under this decision is intended to be deducted from any future de minimis aid scheme.

 

  • Legal basis:
  • – Decision 652/2021 on the approval of the program to support the production of aromatic plants for 2021;
  • http://www.apia.org.ro/ .