Skopje, 10 November 2025 (MIA) - North Macedonia has decided to temporarily suspend the payment of funds from the European Union’s IPARD program following the arrest of the head of the Agency for Financial Support of Agriculture and Rural Development in a bribery case.

“The European Commission and the services in Brussels were informed of this decision on the same day, and they responded by welcoming the decision of the national structures. The goal is to ensure confidence that the established system guarantees the legality and regularity of IPARD payments, as well as the existence of effective measures for the protection against fraud and corruption,” the Ministry of Finance said in a press release Monday.

The national structures tasked with managing funds from the IPA/IPARD instrument are already undertaking additional measures and activities related to current developments, the Ministry said.

Since 2009, the Republic of North Macedonia has been granted the right by the European Commission for decentralized management of funds from the IPA/IPARD instrument.

MIA file photo