Estonia sets investment-grant terms for pig producers

Pig producers whose own agricultural sales reached at least 750,000 eurosRiigiteataja during twelve consecutive months within the up-to-three financial years before applying may seek investment support for expanding pig places, welfare and biosecurity under intervention 2.7 of Estonia's 2023–2027 CAP strategic planRiigiteataja. Regional- ja põllumajandusminister Regulation No 53 of 25 August 2026, published as RT I 2026, 5 and recorded in Riigi Teataja under akt 101092026005, sets the termsRiigiteataja; it also adds intervention 2.7 to the 2026 ministerial support list.

Support reimburses actually incurred eligible costs under Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 Article 83(1)(a)Riigiteataja: up to 65% of eligible costsRiigiteataja, with a 15% minimum rateRiigiteataja and a 750,000 euro minimum per application. The per-applicant maximum is 2.5 million euros over the strategy-plan periodRiigiteataja, rising to 6.5 million across all activities where one supported activity is building a new complete sow-housing livestock buildingRiigiteataja; other activities stay at the 2.5 million ceiling. Groups and undertakings linked by dominant influence under Konkurentsiseadus § 2(4) share a 6.5 million ceiling. VAT, pre-application costs, land and existing buildings, vehicles, own-work pay, preparatory work, non-bank leasing, double-funded costs and depreciation are among the ineligible items.

Support goes to building construction and tangible-asset acquisition for pig places and welfare, plus related input-security assets and own-consumption renewables capped at annual own consumption. The activity must not be physically complete before the PRIA application, and buildings or installed assets must be owned or held under a hoonestusõigus (or kasutusvaldus for installed assets) lasting the purposeful-use period.

Applicants must owe less than 100 euros in national tax debt (or hold a deferral in good standing), face no liquidation, bankruptcy or registry-removal warning, have repaid recoverable public funds, and carry no standing penalty for the listed animal-protection, veterinary, food, feed, environmental or criminal offences. Interest-bearing liabilities may not exceed 7.00 times EBITDA, the current ratio must exceed 1.00, and equity must be at least 30.00% of the balance sheet.

Below 100,000 euros excluding VAT, three comparable quotes from independent providers are needed above 20,000 euros; at 100,000 or more the purchase runs in the public procurement register with at least 15 calendar days for bids and a PRIA observer — each waivable only where objectively impossible, with anti-splitting rules on both. PRIA takes one electronic application per applicant, decides within 60 working days of the deadline, scores against the annex criteria with a 30-point minimum, and completes awards by ranking where funds are short. Beneficiaries finish within two years of the award and no later than 30 June 2029, prove own financing within two months, keep assets in purposeful use for at least three years, and document in tranches with permits in hand.

Legal basis: Regional- ja põllumajandusminister Regulation No 53 of 25 August 2026 (RT I 2026, 5), made under § 7(2), § 12(3), § 24(1) and § 30(9) of the Euroopa Liidu ühise põllumajanduspoliitika rakendamise seadus, applying Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/129. (The regulation text states its adoption date; no entry-into-force provision is stated in the documents.)