Brussels, 28/07/2011 (Agence Europe) - The amount of EU aid for vegetable (cucumber, lettuce, courgette and pepper) and fruit (tomato) producers, and how it is to be shared out has been revealed. On Thursday 28 July, the member states agreed to a Commission proposal to increase the EU support under the emergency plan for vegetable producers affected by the E.coli crisis from €210 million to €227 million. Spain will receive the lion's share, with almost €71 million, ahead of Poland (€46.4 million). The increase from €210 million to €227 million will mean the EU can pay out on all the requests for compensation submitted by 22 of the 27 EU member states, the Commission said in a press release. It feared having to apply a reduction coefficient (see EUROPE 10428). Copa has welcomed the increase in funding, but continues to press for full compensation.
The EU will compensate withdrawals, non-harvesting and green harvesting between 26 May and 30 June. Compensation will amount to 50% of losses (70% for members of producer organisations).
The aid package will be shared as follows: Austria - €2.2 million; Belgium - €3.6 million; Bulgaria - €2.5 million; Czech Republic - €261,935; Germany - €16 million; Denmark- €858,423; Estonia - €1,321; Greece - €7.7 million; Spain - €70.9 million; France - €1.6 million; Hungary - €1.5 million; Ireland - €13,159; Italy - €34.6 million; Latvia - €57,381; the Netherlands - €27.1 million; Poland - €46.4 million; Portugal - €5.2 million; Romania - €3.7 million; Sweden - €112,872; Slovenia - €192,675; Slovakia - €536,107; and the United Kingdom - €649,175.
EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Cioloº said: “The use of CAP (common agricultural policy) funds needs to be fully justified. Several member states supplied complementary information on their demand for compensation last week. Today, we have a clear picture of the total demand for compensation. To be able to pay the totality of the demands, I propose to increase the available budget. This will ensure that we properly support our vegetable producers in these difficult economic times for the sector and allow the reimbursement of all member state demands for the period from May 26 to June 30. From the start of the crisis I said I was very keen to show Europe can react quickly when it needs to. I will now propose that the college endorse this budget increase in the shortest time possible to make it possible for member states to pay this EU support to the entitled producers soon”.
The Commission will probably formally adopt the regulation increasing the budget from €210 million to €227 million next Tuesday or Wednesday. It will be published in the Official Journal of the EU the day after and member states will be able to start making payments to the producers affected. All payments will have to be made before 15 October 2011. (L.C./transl.rt)