On Monday 11 November, the EU Member States’ representatives on the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) approved by a qualified majority the proposal to grant further assistance to EU countries affected by natural disasters, through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
This European Commission proposal, which could also benefit Spanish farmers in the Valencia region following the terrible floods, allows Member States to provide targeted liquidity support to farmers, forest holders and SMEs involved in the processing, marketing or development of agricultural or forestry products affected by natural disasters occurring on or after 1 January 2024 (see EUROPE 13517/18, 13516/11).
The aid may be financed 100% by unused European funds from the EAFRD 2014-2020 and will take the form of lump sums of up to €42,000 per beneficiary. The proposal does not modify existing budgetary commitments, meaning it is budget neutral.
In addition, Member States will be able to introduce and reinforce measures to restore the production potential of affected farms and forests. The proposal also reduces the administrative burden for both the recipients of EAFRD assistance and national administrations.
It will now have to be adopted in the European Parliament’s plenary session. The regulation will then be formally adopted by the EU Council and published in the Official Journal of the EU.
To see the regulation: https://aeur.eu/f/e9l (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)