Brussels, 04/01/2016 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has issued a reminder that requests for private storage aid for the various categories of pigmeat products may be submitted from 4 January 2016. The requests will cover storage periods of 90, 120 and 150 days.
On 14 December 2015, the Commission adopted the implementing regulation opening a private storage measure for pigmeat (see EUROPE 11446). The situation of the EU pig sector deteriorated throughout 2014 and 2015. At a time when EU pig production increased, exports fell sharply as a result of the loss of Russia as an export market. Average recorded EU market prices have been below the reference threshold since mid-August 2015 and this has had a “significant negative impact” on margins in the pig sector, the regulation notes. The temporary removal of pigmeat from the market “seems necessary in order to re-establish market balance and to increase prices”, the regulation states. Among the changes brought in by the new private storage scheme for pigmeat are a 20% increase in aid (compared with the March 2015 scheme), the inclusion of lard among the products eligible for aid and the possibility of re-exporting products after storage (if the product is removed early from storage in order to be exported, following a minimum storage period of two months, the aid will be reduced by a fixed amount). Additionally, each request must be for a minimum quantity of 10 tonnes for boned products and 15 tonnes for other products. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)