The EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development joined the video conference of EU agriculture ministers on Wednesday and promised to take whatever action is required in response to the impact of coronavirus on agriculture. State aid rules relaxed
The EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development joined the video conference of EU agriculture ministers on Wednesday and promised to take whatever action is required in response to the impact of coronavirus on agriculture.
State aid rules relaxed
Of particular interest to farmers and the agri-food industry was his highlighting of the temporary relaxation of state aid rules to allow member states pay up to €100,000 to farmers and up to €800,000 to food processing and marketing businesses.
This is in addition to the de miniminis amounts referred to in this week’s Irish Farmers Journal where member countries can pay farmers up to €25,000 over a three-year period for exceptional and unforeseen losses without securing EU approval in advance.
Market support tools
The commissioner told agriculture ministers that he will do everything in his power to support farmers.
He highlighted the market support tools available, including intervention, private storage aid and exceptional support measures available under the CAP.
This latter tool gives huge discretion on introducing exceptional measures to address a market crisis, though he did warn that these would have budgetary implications.
While he outlined these measures, the commissioner didn’t commit to the introduction of any of these immediately, saying that it was “still premature to draw too many conclusions on the short- and medium-term direct impact of this crisis.” This has caused frustration in the Irish dairy industry.
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Leave the fish in the sea and the cattle in the fields
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