The allocations proposed by the European Commission, under the crisis reserve of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023-2027, are intended to partially compensate farmers in the five affected countries who have lost part of their production and, consequently, part of their income.
“This allocation, which can be supplemented up to 200% by national funds, can provide significant support to farmers who have suffered damage and lost income,” said Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, announcing the measure.
120 million from the CAP reserve for adverse weather events
The CAP 2023-2027 includes an agricultural reserve, endowed with at least 450 million euros per year, to address market disruptions or exceptional events affecting the production or distribution of agricultural products. This reserve can be activated at the request of Member States, who submit a report to the Commission justifying their compensation requests and providing their assessment of the damage caused by the exceptional weather event or the sanitary measures taken.
The intervention proposed by the European Commission on September 23 provides for an allocation of 119.7 million euros, of which:
- 10.9 million euros to Bulgaria,
- 3.3 million euros to Estonia,
- 46.5 million euros to Germany,
- 37.4 million euros to Italy,
- 21.6 million euros to Romania.
The Commission's proposal will now be discussed with all Member States before a decision on its approval during the meeting of the Committee for the Common Organization of Agricultural Markets scheduled for October 7.
Once approved by the 27, the aid from the EU budget will be granted to the five countries and can be supplemented by Member States with national resources, up to 200% of the allocated European funds.
The Member States concerned must also inform the Commission by December 31, 2024, of the details of the implementation of the measures, particularly the criteria used to determine the granting of individual aid, the expected impact of the measure, the payment forecasts broken down by month until the end of April, and the level of additional support the State intends to provide. The notification should also include the measures taken to avoid distortions of competition and overcompensation.
The deadline for the disbursement of aid to farmers by national authorities is set for April 30, 2025.
More information: EU exceptional market measures enhance the agricultural sector's resilience amidst crises
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