In line with Italy’s request to mitigate the negative effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the European Commission announced on Friday 13 March that it will extend by 1 month the period for Italian farmers eligible for income support under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to submit applications.
The deadline of 15 May will therefore be extended to 15 June in order to give Italian farmers more time to complete their files “in these difficult and unprecedented times”, the Commission argued.
Every year, European farmers have to apply for direct income support under the ‘first pillar’ of the CAP. The national administrations then process these files and, after the necessary checks, pay the aid, which is then reimbursed by the Commission via the European budget.
Italy receives almost €6 billion in direct aid each year from the first pillar of the CAP. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)