Drivers holding a Category B license will benefit from its equivalence to a Tr1 license, a newly introduced category that will allow driving agricultural or forestry tractors at a maximum speed of 40 km/h on public roads, according to an emergency order passed by the government on Thursday.

Farmers are protestingPhoto: AGERPRES

The government on Thursday passed several acts aimed at solving some of the problems of the protesting farmers.

The inability to drive a tractor with a category B driver’s license leads to labor migration to other EU countries

An emergency decree passed by the government changes the rules regarding the driving license categories available in Romania for tractors and agricultural vehicles.

The act will allow:

  • 1. Equivalence of a category B permit to a Tr1 permit, a newly introduced category that will allow driving agricultural or forestry tractors with a maximum speed of 40 km/h on public roads.
  • 2. Enrollment of equivalence of categories В and Тр with category Тр1 in the driver’s license for new issues, but not earlier than 90 days after the entry into force of the order, without verification by an authorized body.

The lack of legislation that allows driving agricultural machinery with category B driver’s licenses leads to labor migration to EU countries, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy claims.

Scheme of state aid to crop production

Another resolution, adopted by the government on Thursday, is aimed at establishing a state aid scheme for enterprises engaged in the main production of agricultural products of crop production, as a result of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

The regulatory act is aimed at providing a direct subsidy to enterprises working in the field of primary production of vegetable agricultural products, with the aim of partially compensating for the increase in costs for the production, harvesting, transportation and storage of the primary crop of vegetables obtained from crops created in the fall of 2022, as a result of Russia’s aggression against of Ukraine.

The direct grant under this scheme is an area compensation payment consisting of the equivalent in lei of 100 euros/ha, which is provided to an enterprise working in the field of primary agricultural production for arable land cultivated in autumn. 2022 for the maximum number of 162,640 beneficiaries.

Postponing the payment of loans to farmers affected by the drought is awaiting the approval of the BNR

A law aimed at adopting a moratorium, under which farmers with bank loans affected by the drought can suspend their installment payments for up to one year, has been analyzed in the first reading, and is currently also awaiting the opinion of the BNR.

The obligation to pay the debt of farmers accumulated in banks and/or leasing companies, which is repaid in 2023 to banks, can be suspended at the request of the debtor for a period of one month to 12 months according to the project. at the discussion of the Ministry of Agriculture. The document reached the desk of bankers on Friday, and they will analyze it and provide comments.

Agricultural producers affected by the soil drought will be able to demand from the banks the suspension of obligations to pay accumulated outstanding debts, as well as due payments related to loans, which are capital contributions, interest and fees granted to debtors.

The beneficiaries of this emergency order are agricultural producers who have concluded credit agreements, respectively leasing agreements with credit institutions or non-bank financial institutions, and for which the creditor has not announced the expected repayment period before this emergency order comes into force.

At the same time, the provisions of this regulatory act will help debtors whose incomes have been directly or indirectly affected by a serious situation caused by a natural disaster in agriculture caused by soil drought, i.e. debtors submit to creditors a protocol of ascertainment and assessment of losses, concluded in accordance with the order of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and of the Minister of Internal Affairs No. 63.97.2020.

  • Read also: The government is preparing a moratorium, due to which farmers with bank loans affected by the drought will suspend installments for at most one year / The document is analyzed by bankers