Over €56 million has today (Monday, June 22) been approved to support European farmers impacted by extreme weather events.

Member states endorsed a proposal from the European Commission to mobilise funding from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) agricultural reserve.

As part of the response, farmers from Portugal will receive €30 million, Romania €14.8 million, Cyprus €4.6 million, Croatia €4.4 million, and Slovenia €2.8 million.

Throughout 2025 and in the first half of 2026, farmers in those countries witnessed significant damages and suffered economic losses due to adverse climatic events and natural disasters.

Farmers

At the start of the year, Storm Kristin brought heavy rainfall, strong winds and flooding to Portugal causing damage and destroying agricultural land and infrastructure.

In Romania, severe drought and repeated heatwaves between June and August 2025 affected maize and sunflower yields.

In May 2025, extreme heat and prolonged drought in Cyprus caused major crop losses and drove up the cost of animal feed.

The spring and summer 2025 brought freezing temperatures to Croatia, along with excessive rainfall and drought, damaging crops such as fruits, vines and sugar beet.

Severe spring frosts in Slovenia damaged apple production.

Funding

The commission said the funding will support farmers impacted by "significant damage from adverse climatic events".

Support will be targeted at fruit, nut, vine, olive and arable crop farmers, including mixed livestock producers.

The allocated budget can be complemented by up to 200% of national funds.

The commission said the member states receiving funding must ensure that farmers rapidly receive the support with aid to be distributed by February 28, 2027 at the latest.

The member states will have to notify the commission of the criteria used to determine the granting of individual aid, the forecasts for payments broken down per month, and the level of additional support to be provided.

The countries will also have to include the actions taken to avoid distortion of competition and overcompensation.

European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, Christophe Hansen, said that Europe’s farmers are "paying an increasingly heavy price for extreme weather".

"Safeguarding Europe’s food security means investing in the resilience of our agriculture.

"Building that resilience — through stronger risk management and better preparedness for climate shocks — will be at the heart of our future Common Agricultural Policy," he said.