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The European Commission is working on a number of measures to directly assist farmers through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among these are efforts to aid cashflow through facilitating earlier CAP payments, giving flexibility to member states under CAP Pillar II to put schemes in place to support farmers affected by the crisis and simplifying inspections for farmers.
In a tweet, European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski said these measures were currently being prepared for introduction.
In preparation/implementation: 1) extension of deadline to 15 June for submitting direct payments applications, 2) facilitation of advance payments, 3) flexibility within the II pillar to help farmers affected by the crisis, 4) simplification of control procedures for farmers.
— Janusz Wojciechowski (@jwojc) March 31, 2020
Supports
There is also an option to defer the deadline for submitting BPS applications until 15 June.
However, the Department of Agriculture has said a delay to applications could delay payment and has chosen not to take up the option.
Commissioner Wojciechowski said a number of actions had already been taken by the Commission to support farmers.
These included designating green corridors for food and animals to ensure the supply chain continues to move, the facilitation of seasonal workers in agriculture at borders and increased state aid limits to €100,000 per farm.
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