Given that inaccurate information concerning the supposed late attribution of EU assistance funds was recently published, the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Forestry herein clarifies the following:

1) With the approval of the POSEI and PRORURAL assistance programmes, some of the powers previously held by the Institute for the Financing of Agriculture and Fisheries (IFAP) were transferred to the Regional Directorate of EU Agricultural Affairs (DRACA). These new powers include administrative control of the funding process and the attribution of prizes. IFAP will remain responsible for the payment of assistance funds.

2) The payment or transfer of funds is the responsibility of IFAP. This entity is responsible for the transfer of FEADER (PRORURAL) and FEAGA (POSEI) assistance funds in Portugal.

3) By the 31st of December, 22 million Euros of assistance funds - from the PRORURAL and POSEI programmes - were transferred to the bank accounts of Azorean farmers. These funds were applied in the following areas: maintaining expansion efforts in cattle breeding; maintaining agricultural activity in deprived areas; maintaining live hedges that are used for the protection of long lasting agricultural plants and trees; preservation of vineyards; conservation of live hedges that are used as protection for horticulture, floriculture, fruit-growing, aromatic herbs; and the attribution of prizes for milk and grain/forage production. These funds have been deposited in the bank accounts of Azorean farmers. 

4) Some funds were not transferred during the months of October and December of 2008 due to the detection of administrative irregularities in the application processes of some applicants.  Their applications were therefore suspended. Some farmers experienced delays because administrative control was exercised locally.