Brussels, 21/12/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 18 December, Mariann Fischer Boel, European Commissioner for Agriculture, presented a plan to enable European Union aid to be paid to Greek farmers. Greece has informed the Commission that the difficulties it is experiencing are due to delays in the introduction of requests made by farmers through the intermediary of the different associations. These delays have made the payment of direct aid for 2009 impossible.
The problem is due to the late introduction of the precise addresses contained in the new land parcel identification scheme, which was used in Greece for the very first time this year (the numbering scheme for fields farmed). Given that the payments can only begin once the controls have been carried out, it is vital that a deadline is set, after which payment requests made by farmers will no longer be accepted.
Eager to help Greek farmers, Ms Fischer Boel is prepared to propose that the Commission grant an exceptional and additional deadline for the introduction of details on where agricultural land is located. 31 January 2010 has been proposed as the definitive and final deadline. Parcels that have not been listed by this date will be excluded from any payments for 2009. This is an exceptional measure and will not be repeated. This is why it is important that the Greek authorities do everything they possibly can to ensure that the listing of all fields farmed is in order before the beginning of the 2010 claim year. (L.C./transl.fl)