Direct payments from EU funds reach nearly EUR50 per hectare for each farmer plus other EUR30 as additional payments from the state budget.
In the fall of 2007, Romania came close to a 25% provisional cut in farm subsidies from the European Union after the European Commission warned it might activate the safeguard clause if Romania fails to solve the deficiencies at APIA, institution managing the payment system for farmers.
Orban added that one of Romania’s priorities for 2008 consists in actually spending EU funds as soon they get into its "pocket" this year.
He also stressed Friday that Romania will prove in 2008 that it really knows how to administrate such funds.