Compensation to farmers in Ilia due to severe weather conditions

Recent severe weather conditions and frosts during the potato-growing season across the lowlands of Ilia have completely destroyed the crop.

At the same time, on 21 January 2015, the orange orchards were irreparably damaged by the hail storm that hit Ilia.

As a result, the farmers in the area, already poverty-stricken by the memorandum, are unable to sustain themselves financially.

In view of the above, will the Commission say:

What measures it intends to approve in favour of the farmers in Ilia whose crops were destroyed by the frost and hail storm and on what timescale?

Source: European Parliament

Answer given by Mr Hogan on behalf of the Commission

There is no measure at EU level directly compensating farmers for damages due to climatic events.

However, Article 33(3) of Regulation 1308/2013(1) provides for Union support to crisis management and prevention measures. To benefit from such measures, the producers need to belong to a recognised producer organisation of products listed in Annex I, Part IX, to that regulation, which includes oranges but not potatoes. In particular, a measure that may be of use in this case is harvest insurance, which provisions are developed in Articles 88 and 89 of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EC) No 543/2011 of 7 June 2011(2). The aim of the harvest insurance measures is to contribute to safeguarding producers’ income and covering market losses caused by natural disasters, climatic events and, where appropriate, diseases or pest infestations.

Moreover, in rural development programmes(3) co-financed by the EU budget, Member States can introduce measures providing support for risk management including insurance contracts, and mutual funds which can be used in case of adverse climatic events, plant diseases and pests. Additionally, in order to compensate for severe drops in income, Member States may consider making use of the income stabilisation tool.

A Member State can also decide to provide support from their own resources, in accordance with the applicable state aid rules(4) or on the basis of the de minimis regulation(5).

(1) Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17.12.2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013). (2) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 543/2011 of 7.6.2011 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 in respect of the fruit and vegetables and processed fruit and vegetables sectors (OJ L 157, 15.6.2011). (3) http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:02013R1305-20140101&rid=1 (4) In particular, under conditions provided for in Section 1.2.1.2 Aid to compensate for damage caused by adverse climatic event which can be assimilated to a natural disaster of the European Union Guidelines for state aid in the agricultural and forestry sectors and in rural areas 2014-2020 (OJ C 204, 1.7.2014, p. 1) and/or in Article 25 Aid to compensate for damage caused by adverse climatic event which can be assimilated to a natural disaster of the Commission Regulation (EU) No 702/2014 of 25.6.2014 declaring certain categories of aid in the agricultural and forestry sectors and in rural areas compatible with the internal market in application of Article 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (OJ L 193, 1.7.2014, p. 1). (5) Commission Regulation (EU) No 1408/2013 of 18.12.2013 on the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to de minimis aid in the agriculture sector (OJ L 352, 24.12.2013, p. 9).

Source: European Parliament