Disinformation Claiming That Joining the European Union Harmed Bulgaria’s Agriculture

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Joining the European Union
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On December 24, the Facebook page “Salte” posted a TV show titled “Political Hour with Tamta Karchavashvili” in which the invited guest, political scientist Soso Manjavidze, claimed that Bulgaria’s accession to the European Union damaged its agriculture, which manifested in the decrease in the number of cows.

Soso Manjavidze [12:40]: “In those Baltic states, which are barking at us, a rapid depopulation is happening, by the way, and all the industry they had has been destroyed. The same holds true for Bulgaria; for example, before joining the EU, Bulgaria had 1,700,000 cows, but now there are only 211,000. Why? Because the EU has such a policy. There is a so-called “Carolingian core,” which includes Germany, France, and Northern Italy; these are industrially developed countries; it also includes the Netherlands and the Benelux countries. The remaining countries cannot develop because the EU’s policy is not to develop the periphery countries, especially ones like ours.”

Joining the European Union

The claim that Bulgaria’s EU membership caused damage to its industry and a sharp decrease in the number of cows is disinformation. In reality, the decline started in the 1990s, before the country joined the EU, and according to the latest data, the number of cows in the country is now higher than it was at the time of EU accession.

The claim that Bulgaria’s agriculture was harmed by EU membership because the organization does not allow countries like Bulgaria to develop is disinformation. In fact, the sharp decrease in the number of cows started in the 1990s, before joining the EU. An official document published by the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture confirms that in 2022, the number of cows in the country was 361,476, which exceeds the figure from 2007 (the year of EU accession), which was 355,200.

Number of cattle, poultry, and bee colonies in Bulgaria
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At the same time, the income in the agricultural sector increased from 6483.3 million Bulgarian Lev to 1055.4 million between 2007 and 2023. The increase has also been seen in exports of energy resources, consumer goods, raw materials, and machinery.

From 2014 to 2020, the European Union allocated 2.9 billion euros to Bulgaria, which was spent on the rural development program. On October 17, 2024, the European Commission approved an 84.9 million euro aid package for Bulgarian farmers affected by the Russia-Ukraine war to prevent their development from being hindered.

dezinphormatsia thithqos evrokavshirshi gatsevrianebam bulgarethis sophlis meurneoba daazarala3 Disinformation Claiming That Joining the European Union Harmed Bulgaria’s Agriculture
Export of goods and services from Bulgaria

A significant crisis in Bulgaria’s economy began in the 1990s, when, alongside rising inflation and unemployment, almost every sector of the economy was damaged. Since 2007, when the country became a member of the European Union, exports have increased, and the GDP per capita has grown. While in 2007, this figure was USD 5,815, in 2023, it reached USD 15,764.

dezinphormatsia thithqos evrokavshirshi gatsevrianebam bulgarethis sophlis meurneoba daazarala4 Disinformation Claiming That Joining the European Union Harmed Bulgaria’s Agriculture
Bulgaria’s GDP per capita by years

Bulgaria periodically receives multi-million-euro assistance from the European Union, aimed at achieving social and economic equality with other member states.

It is also important to note that two-thirds of Bulgaria’s exports are machinery and equipment, while the remainder consists of consumer goods, mainly agricultural products. Therefore, using the reduction in the number of cows as an indicator of setbacks in the country’s development is manipulative.

Myth Detector has previously fact-checked manipulative and misinformative claims spread by various sources suggesting that the economies and agriculture of countries were harmed after joining the European Union. Read more in the materials:


Zurab Abashidze

Myth Detector Lab


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Violation: Disinformation
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