Compensation payments under Natura 2000 environment protection network will probably be provided after 2010, Agriculture and Forestry Ministry representative Maria Yuroukova said.

By then the European Commission (EC) should have approved the Bulgarian list of territories for inclusion in the network, invesor.bg reported.

The Agriculture Ministry has established a programme for development of rural regions,  which is expected to receive funding of 3.233 billion euro in the period from 2007 to 2013.

Besides compensation payments for missed benefits due to legislation restrictions, the programme envisions investment payments. Investment payments intend to diversify farming.

Sufficient part of the budget will be utilised for encouraging young farmers.

Natural resources and environment protection feature among the main aims of the programme. Owners of plots in mountain regions will receive compensation of 100 euro per hectare and those of plots having low productivity soils will receive 50 euro per hectare.