The European Commission announced on Tuesday 19 September that Polish pig producers, who might have to cease production because of the outbreak of African swine fever, were to receive financial support totalling €9.3 million.
The support will be provided for Polish pig farmers who own no more than 50 pigs and/or piglets and are located in areas at high risk of African swine fever (the disease has been present in the eastern border area of the EU since 2014).
To avoid new outbreaks, strict sanitary restrictions have been put in place at European level. Farmers will have to apply for European aid, which will be paid within 12 months.
The financial support for Polish farmers will come from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget and fall under the provisions of the common organisation of agricultural markets (CMO). These rules allow the Commission to propose temporary support measures (for no more than 12 months) to any sector covered by the common market organisation that is considered to be in a situation “likely to cause a rapid deterioration of production and market conditions”.
This is the first time these provisions have been implemented since the reform of the CAP in 2013. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)