Compensation for farmers in Viannos, in Heraklion, Crete, for damage caused by extreme weather conditions
| 6 March 2015 |
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| Question for written answer to the Commission Rule 130 Notis Marias (ECR) |
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The snowfall, heavy rainfall and gale-force winds that hit the area of Viannos in Heraklion, Crete, between 6 January 2015 and 14 January 2015 and between 10 February 2015 and 12 February 2015 wiped out olive and early vegetable crops.
Olive trees hundreds of years old heavy with olives were unable to withstand the weight of the snow and collapsed, while other smaller olive trees were uprooted and broke.
Other open-air early vegetable crops also sustained massive damage and even greenhouses failed to escape the unrelenting extreme weather conditions.
At the same time, power cuts that lasted for hours in the area of Xerokambos made it impossible for farmers to use heaters and this, combined with the extremely low temperatures, caused all the cucumbers and tomatoes to freeze.
In view of the above, will the Commission say:
What measures does it intend to approve to support olive and early vegetable farmers in Viannos in Heraklion, Crete, and to compensate them for the damage caused to their crops by the extreme weather conditions and to what timetable?
Source: European Parliament
Joint 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, as far as products listed in Part IX of Annex I to Regulation 1308/2013(1) (which includes citrus fruit, avocados, cucumbers and tomatoes) are concerned, Article 33(3) in that regulation provides for Union support to crisis management and prevention measures included in the operational programmes of recognised producer organisation. In particular, a measure that may be of use in this case is harvest insurance, the provisions for which are developed in Articles 88 and 89 of 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. The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development also offers support for restoring the agricultural production potential damaged by adverse climatic events. The use of these instruments is conditional on the inclusion of the relevant measures in the rural development programmes.
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).
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Source: European Parliament
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