Brussels, 27/01/2005 (Agence Europe) - In a letter recently sent to two European Commissioners (Mariann Fischer Boel, agriculture and Danuta Hübner, regional policy) and the Luxembourg presidency, the presidents of the Committee of Agricultural Organisations in the European Union (Copa) and the General Confederation of Agricultural Co-operatives in the European Union (Cogeca) launched an appeal for EU solidarity with the victims of the violent storm that ravaged the Baltic Sea region on 8-9 January. The storm cause significant damage in the agriculture, fishing and forestry sectors in several EU Member States (north of Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the south of Sweden).
Latvia, supported by other countries affected, has already asked (during the Agriculture and Fisheries Council of 24 January) for EU budget assistance for compensation the losses it incurred (EUROPE 26 January). The agricultural organisations stressed that, “the storm has destroyed what has been built up during several generations and affected thousands of people's lives by a total loss of their expected income and devastating the economy of their forestry and agricultural enterprises”. Copa and Cogeca are exhorting the EU to take “positive actions” and release the necessary Community funds, particularly the European Union Solidarity Funds (EUSF).