BIOEAST

Countries

Czech Republic: Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic

The Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic is the central public administrative authority for agriculture, the water sector and the food processing industry, and for forestry, game management, hunting and fishing.

Main task areas related to RDI and the bioeconomy:
Sustainable management of natural resources; Sustainable agriculture and forestry; Sustainable food production; Food security and energy self-sufficiency to increase competitiveness; Significantly improve the protection of natural resources used, taking into account ongoing climate change.
The vision of research, development and innovation is ’Promoting innovative agriculture and forestry through advanced methods and technologies’. Three key areas are defined to fulfill this mission: sustainable management of natural resources, sustainable agriculture and forestry, and sustainable food production.

Estonia: The Ministry of Rural Affairs of Estonia

The area of government of the Ministry of Rural Affairs covers the planning and implementation of rural policy, agricultural policy, fishing industry of the fisheries policy and the trade policy of agricultural products; The organisation of ensuring food safety and compliance; The coordination of the activities related to animal health and protection and plant health and protection; The organisation of agricultural research and development and agricultural education; The preparation of corresponding draft legislation. 

The tasks and objectives of the Ministry of Rural Affairs arise from the Statutes of the Ministry.
Research and development, sectoral training and advisory system play an important role in the implementation of Estonia’s agricultural policy and increasing the competitiveness of enterprises related to agriculture, food industry, rural life and forestry.
In many ways, the Ministry of Rural Affairs helps to organise agricultural research and development and implement the results in business. For example, the Ministry finances scientific analyses to plan political decisions, ensures the knowledge-based functioning of the authorities of the area of government, helps to raise the level of knowledge and professional training and provide consultations and research-based applications necessary for successful management. The Ministry of Rural Affairs is responsible for the funding programmes of the agricultural applied research, organizes their implementation as well as impact assessment.

Hungary: Ministry of Agriculture of Hungary

The Department of Agriculture is responsible for the operation of the research, development and innovation (R&D&I) area. The Department carries out its activities under the direction of the Deputy Secretary of State for Agricultural Economy. 

Establishment of strategic cooperation; Providing professional support to the formation of EIP-AGRI Operational groups; Compilation of white papers; Compilation of analyzes; Assessment of R&D&I sectoral needs and focus areas; Preparation of government and ministerial-level management decisions.
The tasks of the Department include the professional supervision of the Ministry’s research institutes and the development and management of the national and international contact systems in the agricultural R&D&I area. Moreover, the task is to identify and analyze strategic focus areas for Hungarian agricultural R&D&I in the context of the bioeconomy. Further aim of the Department is to strengthen transnational scientific and political cooperation in the Central and Eastern European macro-region, in order to increase the macro region’s competitiveness of agriculture in the bioeconomy and to increase the regional and international visibility of the organisations operating in this field.

Latvia: Ministry of Agriculture 

The Ministry of Agriculture of Latvia are responsible for agriculture, forest sector, fisheries, rural development, veterinary and food. Functions of ministry: Develop agriculture, forest sector and fishery policies.  Organization and coordination of agriculture, forest sector and fishery policies implementation. 

Main task areas related to RDI and the Bioeconomy: 
Sustainable agriculture, forestry, fisheries and food production; Food and feed safety; Promotion of competitive business development in the sector; Promoting the development of human resources, to create more opportunities for income generation and employment in the rural areas; Preservation of the sustainability of natural resources; Through Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies and its research institutions: Forest Research Station, Latvian Plant Protection Research Centre, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Economics and Institute of Horticulture covers agricultural, forestry and food research and innovation transfer; Encourage bioeconomy sectors and cross-sectoral development by developing and implementing innovative approaches; Efficient and sustainable use of natural resources in order to develop the economy with high added value, promoting exports and employment.

Lithuania: Ministry of Agriculture

The Ministry of Agriculture is the state authority of the Republic of Lithuania which shapes, coordinates and controls the implementation of public policy in the following areas: agri-food sector, fisheries (except for conservation and control of fish stocks in inland waters), rural development, land reform, land-use planning, geodesy, cartography, real estate cadastre, state control of land use, engineering development and technical progress of infrastructure in agricultural and rural areas, development of renewable energy resources, support for research, knowledge transfer and implementation of innovation in the fields of agriculture, food industry, fisheries and rural development. 

Poland: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is responsible for rural and farm policies supporting the development of modern agriculture and rural areas.

Its mission is to provide a framework for the development of the Polish agricultural, agro-food sectors, sustainable development of rural areas, food safety and quality as well as improvement of work and living conditions of rural communities while respecting their cultural tradition and taking advantage of science, knowledge transfer as well as opportunities arising from being a member of the European Union and the global economy.

Republic of Bulgaria: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry

The Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry is the central public administrative body responsible for the development and implementation of the state policy in the field of agriculture, rural development, food and feed safety, plant protection, veterinary and zootechnics, forestry management, hunting, fisheries and aquaculture.

Within the structure of the Ministry, the Agricultural Academy is an authority managed by a Chairman and it is directly reporting to the Bulgarian Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.

The Academy is responsible for research, development and innovation (R&D&I) activities in the Agri-Food sector, such as:  organizing and carrying out scientific research and all the relevant activities in the abovementioned fields; taking part in the development of normative acts , analysis, programs , projects and strategies in the field of agriculture at national and regional level; collecting , processing and storing scientific data related to Agri-Food sector.

Republic of Croatia: Ministry of Agriculture of Republic of Croatia

The Ministry of Agriculture is the central public administrative authority for agriculture and forestry, food processing industry, rural development and fishery.  
Main task areas related to RDI and the bioeconomy:
Sustainable agricultural holdings; Sustainable food production taking into account ongoing climate change; Sustainable forest management; Sustainable economic development of agricultural holdings; Sustainable management of natural resources; Efficient energy use in agricultural holdings. 

Romania: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is the central public administrative authority responsible with the application of the governance program and strategy, with role into elaboration and implementation of sectorial national strategy in the following domains: agriculture and food industry, rural development, land reclamation, and conexe domains, such as: specialty scientifical researh, preservation and sustainable management of the soils and both vegetal and animal genetic resources as well as bioeconomy.

One of the major objectives refers to sustaining agricultural research, information and farm advisory services in agriculture. As regards the bioeconomy area, the MARD’s Long and Medium term Strategy for RDI has as main goals: evaluation of long and medium term feasibility of national bio-economic potential to produce non-food bioresources under impact of global climate changes; eco-innovative approaches to develop new agricultural technologies.

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development grants sectorial research projects into joining RD units, universities and professional organizations having in view complete and complex utilization of renewable natural resources.

Slovak Republic: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic

The Ministry, as a central state administration body, has responsibility for the development and implementation of state policy on agriculture, food, forestry, wood processing, hunting and aquaculture, and performs specific cross-sectional and sectoral functions.
Main task areas related to RDI and the bioeconomy:
Sustainable land management; Effective utilisation of biomass from soil, plant, forest and animal production; Added value of agricultural and food production; Waste management and the circular economy.

The Ministry, through its two research institutions – the National Agricultural and Food Centre (NPPC) and the National Forest Centre (NLC) – covers agricultural, food and forestry research, innovation and knowledge transfer. NPPC and NLC are engaged in comprehensive research and gathering of knowledge on the sustainable use and protection of natural resources in the areas of plant and animal production, food production, soil management, grassland and mountain agriculture, agroecology and agro-food economy, and also on research and advisory services oriented towards sustainable forest management and its implementation in practice. 

Slovenia: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food of Slovenia 

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food of Slovenia performs tasks in the field of agriculture, rural development, food, plant protection, veterinary and zootechnics, forestry, hunting, fisheries and aquaculture, food and feed quality and safety. A special focus of the ministry is also research, development and innovation (R&D&I) in the above mentioned fields – in this regard the ministry cooperates in European R&D&I programmes and supports projects on the national and international, mostly European level. 
Topics from the field of bioeconomy are addressed in the Resolution on Strategic Guidelines for the Development of the Slovenian Agriculture and Food Industry by 2020 – “Ensuring the Food for Tomorrow” (2011) and in the strategy on implementing the resolution (2014), in the Slovenian Framework Programme for the Transition to a Green Economy (2015), in the Slovenia’s Development Strategy 2030 (2017), in the Slovenian Strategy on Smart Specialisation (2017) and in the Roadmap towards a Circular Economy in Slovenia (2018).