The European Commission said today (Monday, June 26) that it is proposing to allocate over €9.5 million to Irish farmers.
It is part of a support package worth €330 million for 22 EU member states to help farmers impacted by adverse climate events, high input costs and market and trade-related issues.
Ireland will be among the member states to benefit from this exceptional support from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
The commission said that countries may complement this EU support up to 200% with national funds.
The measure will be voted by member states at the next meeting of the EU committee for the common organisation of agricultural markets.
EU Commission
If approved, national governments will distribute this EU aid directly to farmers to compensate them for financial losses caused by market disturbances, high input prices and “rapidly falling agricultural product prices”.
The funding can also be used to help farmers whose lands were damaged by recent climate events, such as extreme flooding in Italy and drought in Spain.
The following table details the amount of funding being proposed for each of the 22 member states:
Member state Proposed funding allocation Austria €5,529,091 Belgium €3,912,118 Croatia €3,371,029 Cyprus €574,358 Czechia €6,862,150 Denmark €6,352,520 Estonia €1,722,597 Finland €4,269 ,959 France €53,100,820 Germany €35,767,119 Greece €15,773,591 Ireland €9,529,841 Italy €60,547,380 Latvia €6,796,780 Lithuania €10,660,962 Luxembourg €462,680 Malta €240,896 Netherlands €4,995,081 Portugal €11,619,548 Slovenia €1,234,202 Spain €81,082,911 Sweden €5,594,367
The EU has also approved a separate €100 million support package for farmers in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, which was proposed in early May.
This followed concerns by the countries about the impact of produce from Ukraine on domestic markets.
“Farmers from these five member states are facing issues related to logistical bottlenecks following large imports of certain agri-food products from Ukraine.
“Exceptional and temporary preventive measures on imports of a limited number of products from Ukraine entered into force on May 2, and will be phased out by September 15, 2023,” the commission said.
The EU Commission said that payments for both support packages should be made to farmers by December 31, 2023.
Member states will have to notify the commission of how the funds are to be allocated.
CAP payments
In addition to this direct financial support, the commission is proposing to allow higher advance payments of CAP funds.
Up to 70% of direct payments and 85% of rural development payments related to area and animals could be available to farmers as of mid-October to improve their cashflow situation.
It is proposed that member states could amend their CAP Strategic Plans to redirect CAP funds towards investments to re-establish production in the wake of adverse climate events.
EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski said that farmers are among the first to be impacted by the climate, economic and geopolitical crises.
“Despite the liquidity issues and difficulties faced, particularly acute in certain sectors and member states, EU agricultural producers keep working every day to provide safe and quality food products.
“They deserve our support and our recognition. Today, the European Commission is again stepping up its financial aid to support EU farmers from all around the EU. National funds can also complement this support,” he said.
The European Commission already adopted a €500 million support package for farmers in March 2022.