1. Agricultural Chambers in Romania TAIEX 57155 Kiev, 09 February 2015 Bogdan BAZGA bogdan.bazga@gmail.com

2. How the Agricultural Chambers from Romania have been created? 2009 – Gov.Decision. No.1.609/2009 regarding to the establishment of county agricultural chambers, through reorganization of the offices/centers of county agricultural consulting, operating under the National Agency of Agricultural Consulting. 2010 – Law No.283/2010 on agricultural chambers for agriculture, forestry and rural development. There have been created the Agricultural Chambers from Romania. 2012 - Law No.122/2012 amending and supplementing the Law No.283/2010. 2013 - Gov.Decision No.58/2013 on amending and supplementing the Law 283/2010 on agriculture chambers,food industry, fisheries, forestry and rural development and for repeal the Article 2 from Law No. 122/2012 on amending and supplementing Law 283/2010 on agricultural chambers,forestry and rural development.

3. Territorial organization

5. Agricultural Chambers are private institutions of public interest, nonprofit, with judicial personality, created in purpose of: a) representation and promovation of farmers interests, physique/judicial persons in agriculture, in all its branches food industry, forestry, fisheries, rural tourism and agro tourism which are still the related agriculture fields; b) consulting and promotion of the common agricultural policy, national programs for rural development, strategies and policies for financial support of Romanian agriculture, of basic and applied research, with all its related branches; c) intensification of European funds absorption in agriculture,food industry, fishing and aquaculture; d) professional training, extension and consultancy in agriculture and related fields. County agricultural chambers can establish local agricultural chambers with no legal personality. Agricultural Chambers represent the dialog partner of public authority competent in agriculture fields, food industry, forestry and related fields, as for the other authorities and institutions of the central and local public administration on areas of competence.

6. The responsibilities of agricultural chambers /cf.Art. 18/ Law No.122/2012 County agricultural chambers have the next responsabilities: 1. Represent the interests of farmers in relation with the members of the local councils and municipalities; 2. Certify the quality of farmer; 3. Assure legal specialized consulting of those they represent; 4. Represent the interests of county agricultural chamber in relation to county institutions, decentralized and decentralized institutions of territorial ministries and county council ; 5. Provide assistance, consultancy and develop projects to access European funds, to support farmers and other funding programs; 6. Organize activities to popularize and specialized technical assistance establishing demonstration plots, practical demonstrations, exhibitions, festivals, seminars, meetings, debates and round tables; 7. Ensure economic consultancy,farm management, marketing and trading;

7. 8. approves the removal of agricultural land ; 9. they can develop the documentation to change the categories of land usage; 10. elaborate the documentations for registration in land register of agricultural and forestry lands ; 11. approve the nut trees cuts from outside the forest; 12. approve cuts of forest vegetation from outside the national forest land; 13. provide services to farmers registered in the “Register of Agriculture Agency for Payments and Interventions” to absorption funds, direct payments, payments for disadvantages areas, compensation payments for agro-environmental measures and any support that may be granted from the EU budget and the national budget; 14. apply at the county level the training policy, organize calcification,specialization, professional courses for ongoing training of farmers, at the request of the National Agricultural Chambers; 15. ensure consultancy on the application of technologies for subordinated farms.

8. 16. assure consultancy for farmers who wish to develop new investment and modernization programs; 17. performs audiovisual materials, and radio-TV at the county level; 18. performs information flow with National Agricultural Chamber notice by editing, duplication and distribution of materials, magazines, books, brochures, leaflets, technology culture and plant breeding, technical and economic projects and other materials. (Cf. Art. 3) Agricultural chambers may establish trading societies or participate in shareholder of the trading companies established under the law.

11. The structure and organization of County Agricultural Chambers /County Office of Agricultural Consulting County Office of Agricultural Consulting has the next basic responsabilities: a) prepare to meet the standards that European Union set over the population engaged in agricultural, fishery, forestry and for rural diversification activities ; b) dissemination of legal provisions harmonized with the ones of European Union; c) promoting among rural population the programs for rural development; d) specialized technical assistance and application of the results of research in rural development; e) management consultancy; f) consultancy and technical assistance to quickly access the structural funds, the supportive system of farmers and other funding programs; g) training and professional development in agriculture, forestry and fisheries of the rural population. h) organizing an efficient information system by editing, copying, distribution, specialty materials, filmmaking, radio, television and other audiovisual materials. "

12. The land allocated by use for Agricultural Chambers at national level

13. Who can be a member? The members of the county agricultural chambers : individual members ( farmers, physique or judicial persons, who develop activities in agriculture and related fields, in the specific county; veterinary doctors and collective members ( professional associations from agriculture and related fields registered at the county level, and producers groups; employers and workers in agriculture and related fields; agricultural cooperatives; the forestry and forest owners of compossessorates; college of veterinarians; educational institutions and / or agricultural research).

14. Members - Component of the Romanian Agricultural Chambers The county College of the Agricultural Chambers has 25 members: - 8 places for the members of professional associations (previously there were 10); - 2 places for patronates; - 2 places for syndicates; - 2 places for cooperatives; - 1 place for the forest owners andof compossessorates; - 1 place for representatives of agricultural research stations or education; - 4 places for the elected reprezentatives of farmers (previously there were 3); - 4 places for the elected reprezentatives of farmers until 35 years (previously there were 3); - 1 place for veterinary doctors. The mandate of the elected in agricultural chambers is for 4 years (previously was 5 years), except for the first governing bodies, whose duration is for one year.

15. The legal form and the purpose of the establishment of the Agricultural Chambers The Agricultural Chambers are institutions of public use, nonprofit, with legal personality. Their purpose is to represent, promote and defend the agriculture, livestock and forestry interests, as to contribute at the increase of production of all agricultural, livestock and forestry branches.

16. In accordance to the law, the agricultural chambers have a consulting purpose and represent the main dialogue partner of the central public authority, competent in agriculture and related branches, as for other institutions and authorities of public guvernance. The agricultural chambers may establish trading societies in appropriate legislation.

17. Organization of the elections for agricultural chambers The elections are made by the initiative committees that will be established at national, regional and county level, which includes representatives of associative forms of agriculture, representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Interior and Administration, Ministry of Environment and Forests and from committee established at national level will be involved 8 members of the Romanian Parliament, from the agriculture committees. Initiative county, regional and national committees dissolve, right after the election and validation of the elections and their duties will be assumed by the county,regional agricultural chambers colleges and National Agricultural Chamber.

18. The election system The right to vote belongs to any romanian citizen or foreign citizen of a member state of European Union, who is resident in Romania, develop agricultural or similar activities and meets at least one of the next conditions: - is a farmer, forester or breeders and is found in the database of the Agency for Payments and Intervention for Agriculture and private forest districts; - is a member of professional associations, trade unions and of employers in agriculture or related fields established in accordance with the law.

19. Election of members of the Regional College of Agricultural Chambers area is by voting in one round, on the list of proposed Regional Agricultural College by: - associations in agriculture and forestry constituted and registered at the county level, in accordance with the law, and producer groups recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; - employers in agriculture and related fields, - unions in agriculture and related fields, - agricultural cooperatives, - forest owners representatives and of compossessorates; - veterinary doctors College; - agricultural research and educational institutions; - farmers enrolled in the database of the “Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture”.

20. Thank you for your attention ! Bogdan BAZGA bogdan.bazga@gmail.com