EU offers EUR 120m support to farmers hit by bad weather
Cows flooded farm - Image by Brigitte Werner from Pixabay
(BRUSSELS) - The EU Commission proposed Monday EUR 119.7m direct support for farmers from Bulgaria, Germany, Estonia, Italy and Romania who have been impacted by recent exceptional adverse climatic events.
In the first half of 2024, drought affected heat affected crops in Italy, in Bulgaria as well as in Romania. In April, frost in parts of Germany damaged orchards and vines. Estonia suffered from extraordinary fluctuating weather conditions going from frost and cold spells in December and January to unusually warm temperatures in March, followed by frost and hail and later in the summer, intense rainfall and floods.
In July, part of the agricultural reserve was already allocated to Austria, Czechia, and Poland, which faced similar adverse climatic events, as well as Portugal, which was dealing with serious market disturbances in the case of wine producers.
The proposal allocates €10,9 million to Bulgaria, €46,5 million to Germany, €3,3 million to Estonia, €37,4 million to Italy and €21,6 million to Romania.
"This allocation, which can be complemented by up to 200% with national funds, can provide significant support to farmers who have suffered damages and lost incomes, "said Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski.
Once adopted, national authorities will have to distribute this aid by 30 April 2025 and ensure that farmers are the ultimate beneficiaries.
Member States concerned also need to to notify the Commission by 31 December 2024 on details of the measures' implementation, notably the criteria used to determine the granting of individual aid, the intended impact of the measure, the forecasts for payments broken down per month until the end of April, and the level of additional support to be provided. The notification should also include the actions taken to avoid distortion of competition and overcompensation.
The EU executive's proposal will now be discussed with all Member States, before they decide on its approval during the 7 October meeting of the Committee for the Common Organisation of Agricultural Markets.
Farmers in other Member States have been affected by extreme weather events in the second half of Summer. The Commission says it will assess whether such damages also warrant EU solidarity to be provided.
Report on the use of crisis measures adopted pursuant to Articles 219 to 222 of the CMO Regulation