Sofia, January 11 (BTA) - The Executive Agency Certification Audit of European Agriculture Funds (CAAF EA), which is responsible for the accuracy of the financial statements and the established control system in the Paying Agency of Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) and the Executive Forest Agency (EFA) will no longer be part of the Agriculture Ministry, Minister of Agriculture Ivan Ivanov (pictured) said at a briefing on Tuesday. The certification agency will be under the auspices of the Ministry of Finance, and within six months the BFSA and EFA will be under the leadership of the Council of Ministers.    

Minister Ivanov presented his new team of four deputies. Stefan Burdzhev is the deputy minister in charge of animal husbandry, land reform, state aid, maritime affairs and fisheries, the Executive Agency on Vine and Wine, the Executive Agency for Selection and Reproduction in Animal Breeding. Momchil Nekov will be responsible for the Strategic Plan and European Integration, the rural development programme, market measures, agrifood chains. Ivan Hristanov will oversee plant growing and BFSA, organic production, direct payments, hail control, and Atanas Dobrev - of forests, and Todor Baichev is Parliamentary Secretary.

RY/MT