„We are asking to extend the transitional period (for land sale to foreigners) until payments to Lithuania are brought up to the EU average. We also propose that there should be a possibility to cover the difference between the average EU payment and that to Lithuania through additional national direct payments,“ Andriejus Stancikas, the president of the Lithuanian Chamber of Agriculture, told BNS.
Stancikas was commenting on a resolution adopted by the Lithuanian Farmers' Congress last Friday.
Farmers want direct payments to be raised to 196 euros per hectare in 2015, not in 2019 as currently proposed, he said.
The current ban on the sale of land to foreigners expires in May 2014.
Under the current proposal at the European Parliament, direct payments to Lithuania would be increased to 149 euros per hectare in 2014, from the current 144 euros, and would go further up to reach 196 euros in 2019.
