Farmers' employers will see their benefits reduced if they fail to comply with conditions

As part of the drive towards socially responsible agriculture, from this year onwards across the European Union, farmer-employers must comply with social support conditions when claiming benefits. The Ministry of Agriculture has adopted a methodology for applying sanctions for non-compliance with these conditions.

Social assistance clauses oblige farmer-employers to protect the safety and rights of people working in agriculture by ensuring that employment contracts are drawn up and adhered to, and that dangerous equipment and machinery are used safely, and so on.

Social assistance clauses are not new requirements, as they are based on EU directives whose provisions have been transposed into national law. This means that farmers should be aware of the applicable national legal requirements and ensure that their workers receive the social guarantees provided.

Under the EU's Common Agricultural Policy model, compliance with the social conditions for support is compulsory for beneficiaries, i.e. it is linked to the receipt of direct payments and support for the rural development interventions of the Lithuanian Strategic Plan for Agriculture and Rural Development 2023–2027. Claimants who violate workers' rights and safety will have their payments reduced by a percentage calculated according to the methodology by the National Paying Agency.

Where can I find out more?

In order to ensure that applicants comply with the social assistance conditions, the Ministry of Agriculture, together with the State Labour Inspectorate, organises publicity campaigns to present the social assistance conditions, the sanctioning mechanism, and the requirements of occupational health and safety and labour law.

Information on the events held and to be held on the topic of social support conditions is published on the website of the Lithuanian Rural Network (LRN) www.kaimotinklas.lt .

On 18 March, a LKT workshop event took place, during which the following topics were presented for the 2025 declaration: social support conditions, consequences of illegal work in agriculture, and an overview of occupational safety and health legislation. A recording of the event can be found here.

The Ministry of Agriculture will also present the conditions for social support at the agricultural exhibition "What you will sow...2025" on 27 March, in Hall IV, Room 211, 2.30 pm.