The bilateral relations of cooperation between the two neighbouring countries have a long history and they were particularly intensive. The lack of a latest institutional framework between Greece and Bulgaria for cooperation in the agricultural sector did not stand as an obstacle to undertaking common initiatives in the frame of both various Mixed Intergovernmental Committees and Working Groups for collaboration in the agricultural sector.
Our country and the Ministry of Rural Development and Food supported by all means and since the early stages, the strategic target of Bulgaria for its integration into the European Union; support that was expressed factually, not only in the frame of Community negotiations but also with the transfer of know-how via Community programs.
In particular, the Government of Bulgaria had assigned a Twinning Program between the homologous Ministries of Greece and Bulgaria for drawing up and prepare the application of the Special Pre-Accession Aid for Rural Development (SAPARD) as well as a program for improving the production process and control of seeds and adaptation of the relevant national legislation to the corresponding Community one.
The accession negotiations of the two Balkan countries, Bulgaria and Romania) with the EU were completed in December 2004. The integration of Bulgaria, as well as Romania, in the European Union included the harmonisation of the development and modernisation of the political, economic and social structures of the said Balkan states in line with the development of the European political and economic completion.
After the full integration of Bulgaria in the EU in 2007, the homologous Ministries of both our countries acquired a more essential step of collaboration in Community henceforth level.
Indeed, regarding the agricultural sector, , the Bulgarian positions in a variety of community issues, as they were expressed in the Council of Ministers for Agriculture the last two years, coincided with those of our country. However, there were also cases in which there was a divergence of interests and opinions between the two Ministries (e.g. the last reform of wine regime and the use or not of sugar for the enrichment of wines).
The relations of our country with Bulgaria on issues of veterinary interest are also particularly close, as long as the two countries frequently face common threats (foot and mouth disease, bluetongue decease etc). On this issue, a Tripartite Committee of experts between Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey operates permanently, dealing with the policies applied on veterinary fields but also with commercial questions arising between the neighbouring countries. Moreover, a Program of Technical Collaboration between Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey also operated for a better monitoring and control of exotic diseases against productive animals in regions of common borders of the three countries.
Regarding the transfer of know-how, regular exchanges of Greek and Bulgarian experts and consultants take place for exchanging information on issues like tobacco cultivation, Common Organisations of Market, harmonisation of veterinary legislation with Community regime, fishing management, Common Fisheries Policy, prevention and repression of forest fires. In addition, in the frame of the Greek Development Aid Programme (DAC), several scholarships were assigned to Bulgarian students and experts to study in the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania (MAICH), while specific seminars were organised in favour of Bulgarian experts on issues of the Common Rural Policy.