On Tuesday 19 September, the Directors-General of the European Ministries of Agriculture began discussions on the use of the reserve in the event of an agricultural crisis. In fact, the reserve (€530 million) has already been fully used this year and the envelope for 2024 (€450 million) can be mobilised from 15 September.
In a document prepared for discussion by EU experts, the European Commission points out the limits of the agricultural reserve in the face of recurring crises and extreme climate events. “Given the growing impact of climate change, should the reserve be used for weather-related crises or only for market disturbances?” It invites the General Managers to comment on the need to establish priorities according to the type of crisis (market, extreme weather, animal health and plant health). It also asks them to indicate the criteria that should be taken into account when distributing funds between States and agricultural sectors.
Furthermore, at the Agriculture Council on Monday 18 September, the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, declared in Brussels that Slovenia and Greece would receive funds from the agricultural crisis reserve to recover from the floods. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)