Agriculture and Food Ministser Nihat Kabil handed on December 20 the accreditation to handle EU funds for Bulgarian farmers to managing director Dimitar Tadarukov of the State Fond Agriculture (SFA).

One day earlier, the European Commission approved Bulgaria's development programme for rural regions for 2007 - 2013, through which Bulgarian municipalities, businesses and NGOs have access to 3.242 billion euro, mediapool.bg said.

According to Kabil, the Agriculture Ministry had three main priorities for 2008, Bulgaria's equal share in the European agricultural politics, helping agricultural producers and Bulgarian financial stability.

The SFA was to play an important role in the distribution of EU funds and the development of Bulgarian agriculture.

The fund would be under strict control, Kabil said. Abuse would lead to the accreditation being lifted, he said.

Kabil promised full support from the Agriculture Ministry for the SFA to absorb the EU funds.