As of 1 December 2016, European farmers eligible for direct payments will receive an additional €435 million, the sum amounting to the unused crisis reserve.
The European Commission made the announcement on Monday 28 November but it was no surprise. Every year since the 2013 common agricultural policy (CAP) reform, a sum is deducted from direct payments to create an annual crisis reserve for EU farmers. If the reserve is not used up by the end of the year, the money goes back to farmers. Since its creation in 2013, the crisis reserve has never been used up.
Since September 2015, the Commission has provided over €1 billion in financial support to sectors facing crisis (milk, pigmeat, fruit and vegetables). This support has been financed without touching the crisis reserve so as not to affect direct payments. The 2016 deduction relates to direct payments of more than €2,000. Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia were exempted.
In 2017, the deduction (crisis reserve) will be €450.5 million. Romanian and Bulgarian farmers will be involved for the first time (Croatia will continue to be exempted). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)