The Paying Agency director Daniela Irotova-Lazareva has announced new calls for the IPARD III Programme. This follows the suspension of European funds for Macedonian farmers last December, which was triggered by a major corruption scandal.
Director Irotova-Lazareva announced that calls for Measures 1, 3, and 7 will open in December, allowing farmers and processing companies to begin preparing the necessary application documentation. To prevent any further misuse of European funds, the Paying Agency has introduced changes to the application processes and procedures for the IPARD III Programme; final approval is currently pending from the National IPARD Programme Coordinator at the Ministry of Finance.
The status of the IPARD III Programme for Macedonia had been in jeopardy for nearly a year following the discovery of a major corruption scandal involving the former director of the Paying Agency, Ilija Stoilev. A court case is currently underway against nine individuals accused of accepting and offering bribes totaling over 50,000 euros; some of the accused are employees of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy (MAFWE) and the Public Revenue Office (PRO).
“All contracts under every measure have been concluded, and the ranking lists have been published on the Agency’s website. I encourage everyone with the capacity to invest, whether in production facilities or the establishment of new agricultural plantations, to start preparing; in December, we will announce all available funds for the programming period leading up to 2027,” Irotova-Lazareva confirmed to the media.
The total European aid for Macedonian farmers for the 2021–2027 period amounts to 128 million euros. Of this, EUR 97 million consists of European funds, while Macedonia contributes EUR 31 million as national co-financing.