“Social Conditionality” in the Cap – Rules, Sanctions, Benefits

From the beginning of 2025, agricultural subsidies will be mandatory linked to the rights of workers in agriculture. The so-called “social conditionality” is being introduced, determining that compliance with labor legislation by employers in the sector is a condition for receiving European funding, with sanctions that can vary from 3% to 100% depending on the severity and extent of the violation. The relevance of the topic stems from the fact that this new rule is likely to be the most serious “labor sanction” for a specific business in Bulgaria. In this context, the goal set in this report is to examine the regulatory provisions for the introduction of the mechanisms of “social conditionality”, to comment on the adopted methodology for their implementation and to formulate the relevant conclusions and recommendations.