The European Commission announced on Tuesday 23 May that it had authorised a Polish aid scheme worth around €1 billion (PLN 4.7 billion) to preserve the liquidity of agricultural producers who are in difficulty as a result of the Russian military aggression against Ukraine.
Poland will provide direct subsidies of up to €250,000 per beneficiary until 31 December 2023 to farmers facing rising input costs such as mineral fertilisers and affected by instability in agricultural markets.
The Commission found the aid to be in line with EU state aid rules, and, more specifically, with Article 107(3)(b) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU and the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework adopted a month ago (see EUROPE 13138/1).
On Monday 15 May, the European Commission gave the green light to a Polish scheme worth around €122.6 million to help Polish farmers cope with rising fuel prices (see EUROPE 13182/21). On 16 May, the Commission authorised a Polish measure worth around €1.3 billion to help farmers pay their insurance premiums (see EUROPE 13183/5). (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)