Minister of Agriculture Martins Roze of Latvia

Roze said that the Commission's proposals after the CAP "Health Check" do not envisage any adequate solutions to the problem of direct payments.

Roze said in a statement to the press that Latvia insists that the CAP must be revised, first of all, to timely solve the question of new and justified criteria for distribution of financing in both direct payments and aid for rural development.

Unfortunately, the Commission's so-called "health check" does not seem to notice the differences that farmers in various EU member states receive from the EU budget, which distort the market," Roze says in the statement.

Roze said that today he and the commissioner discussed maximum permissible benzopyrene level in canned sprats produced in Latvia, and Latvia's position on plant protection.

Writing on his blog before the protest, Roze said he supports the demonstration.

But agriculture minister Martins Roze said that as court proceedings against the Commission could take.

funds as the country had achieved 100 per cent success.

Kabil and Latvia's Martins Roze discussed how to improve cooperation between Bulgaria and Latvia in the agriculture area, forestry and fishery.

Minister Roze is accompanied by senior officials from the Latvian Ministry.