In Brussels on Thursday 30 August, the European Commission indicated that it would assess the need to potentially take new measures to help farmers deal with the consequences of drought (see EUROPE 12082).
A Commission representative briefed members of the European Parliament’s agriculture committee on Thursday on measures taken to help farmers cope with the extreme weather of the past months.
He said that the cereal harvest would be down by 5% this year, the lowest level of production since 2005. The reduction for soft wheat would be 9%.
Derogations and advanced payments. The Commission listed measures it has already taken, including derogations for more than ten countries on fallow land that can be used to grow animal fodder.
At the management committee on Thursday, the Commission unveiled derogations requested by a number of countries on certain greening rules, namely the possibility to consider winter crops which are normally sown in autumn for harvesting/grazing as catch crops (prohibited under current rules) if intended for grazing/fodder production; the possibility to sow catch crops as pure crops (and not a mixture of crops as currently prescribed) if intended for grazing/fodder production; the possibility to shorten the 8-weeks minimum period for catch crops to allow arable farmers to sow their winter crops in a timely manner after their catch crops. An extension of the previously adopted derogation is foreseen to allow cutting/grazing of fallow land for France for it to feed its animals.
Seventeen EU countries have asked for an advance on direct payments: farmers will be able to receive up to 70% of their direct payment and 85% of payments under rural development as of mid-October 2018 instead of having to wait until December.
Extra measures. The member states have until 31 August to communicate to the Commission the drought situation in their country "to see whether extra measures will need to be taken", explained the Commission.
Several MEPs said that the measure could have been immediate thanks to the use of satellite data. It would have been better to be able to "react immediately rather than waiting for kilos of paperwork", said Michel Dantin (EPP, France).
The Commission admitted that the reaction time could have been shorter if the measures in the new CAP had already been in force (less red tape for EU countries). "We are monitoring the situation, and there are enough fodder stocks for animals, and countries should make greater use of the risks management tools", said the Commission representative, regretting that few countries had set up the necessary tools.
If a situation of force majeure is recognised in a country, farmers will not be penalised for failing to respect some of the greening rules, confirmed the Commission. "We acted fast and respected procedures", concluded the Commission representative. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)