€210 Million EU Emergency Aid Package for Fresh Vegetables Producers
The EU has voted through an emergency aid package for fresh vegetable growers, worth €210 million. The scheme allows for the EU to compensate producers for cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, courgettes, and sweet peppers that have been withdrawn from the market since May 26th as a result of the E-coli outbreak in Northern Germany.
The decision foresees paying a maximum rate of 50% of the usual producer price in June. The final figure will only be confirmed on July 22nd once Member States confirm the volumes that will be covered. The scheme also provides Producer Organisations with some additional flexibility in compensating associated farmers for withdrawals of their vegetables from the market.
“This is an important signal for fresh vegetable growers because I was very keen to show that Europe can react quickly when it needs to. European agriculture has become more and more market-oriented in recent years. However, this crisis again highlights that the market alone is not sufficient for something as strategically important as agriculture. These are elements that we must bear in mind when it comes to fixing the rules and the budget for the CAP after 2013″, says EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos.
