28 Nov 2023
Agricultural policymaker officials visit to Austria
Many post-Soviet countries have recently become EU member states or received the status of EU candidate countries.
Agriculture and rural development play a priority role for the countries aiming to participate in the EU policy. Therefore, it is crucial for policymakers to fully understand the institutional structure of agricultural policy development, financing, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting in EU countries in order to make sound strategic and sustainable decisions. In addition, technical, financial, and administrative cooperation between these institutions is very important.
With the financing of the Austrian Development Agency, from October 1 to 5, 2023, at the invitation of the Austrian "AgrarMarket" state agency, the working group headed by Vahe Ghalumyan, the Chair of the RA NA Standing Committee on Territorial Administration, Local Self-Government, Agriculture and Environment, was on a three-day visit to Austria. The purpose of the visit was to raise the awareness of high-ranking officials and familiarize them with the requirements of agricultural policy implementation and its institutional structure.
During the visit, the working group studied the following questions:
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management of Austria (policy maker and negotiator with the EU)
➢Structure, roles, and responsibilities;
➢Financial planning and financing of agricultural policy;
➢The new Austrian CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) strategic plan (approved by the EU);
➢Institutions involved in policy development and implementation;
➢Role of Agricultural Universities and Colleges;
➢Cooperation and interaction between relevant institutions and the role of agricultural cooperatives;
AgrarMarkt Austria (AMA) (Payment agency, digitization of business processes)
➢Animal identification and registration system, laws and regulations;
➢The role of small slaughterhouses in rural Austrian communities;
➢Control functions;
➢Cooperation with other affiliated institutions;
➢Elements of the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) and the importance of IT;
➢Payments by area;
➢Agricultural markets, market, and price monitoring and reporting.
Regional visits
Austrian Lower Regional Veterinary Service (advisory service, education, training, primary farm support)
➢Regional Veterinary Service structure, roles, and responsibilities;
➢Veterinary control and food safety;
➢Registration of small slaughterhouses;
➢Veterinarian's responsibility in slaughter and meat-cutting processes.
Agricultural school
➢Youth education, and training for adults on the topics of agriculture and food technology.