Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 25 ISSUE 2
Written by Georgi ALEKSIEV, Nadezhda PETROVA, Violetka ZHELEVA

The energy policy of the European Union (EU) aims to achieve a sustainable energy future by reducing carbon emissions, increasing energy efficiency and ensuring energy security. The EU’s main objectives in this context include reducing dependence on external energy sources, shifting to renewable energy sources and creating an internal energy market that ensures efficiency and fair access for all Member States. The EU aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, which implies a significant reduction in carbon emissions, as well as a transition to cleaner and more sustainable technologies for energy production and consumption. Union policy has increasingly focused on transforming the energy production landscape of the continent towards a more sustainable future, with an ever-growing renewable energy sector. This process has also included the agricultural sector as it also has a high impact on the climate neutrality of the continent, with Green Deal policies focusing on reducing greenhouse gases produced by farms, the food supply chain and recourse producers (fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) and improving the food security of the continent. In this context, the aim of this study is to analyse the impact of European green policies on food production in Bulgaria. To achieve this goal, the following tasks must be completed: to highlight the most impactful European eco-policies regarding Bulgarian food production; to analyse the impact of these policies on the development of organic production in Bulgaria, as environmentally responsible, and to assess the possibilities for adapting Bulgarian agricultural practices to the new European green framework. This research uses data supplied by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture of the Republic of Bulgaria, though it’s Agrostatistics branch. In order to achieve the goal of the study a policy review method was used, with the goal of highlighting the most impactful European policies for the organic production sector in Bulgaria. The main conclusion for the development of Bulgarian agriculture is that the concentration and specialization in production allows these larger-scale producers to be better positioned to leverage institutional support mechanisms. This is not without its challenges, as European green policies that promote sustainability require a more nuanced approach to policy implementation to succeed. The implementation of European green policies in Bulgaria must focus more on the support and promotion of internal markets and the shortening of food supply chains, by strengthening regional food supply.

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