Funding to remedy damage to farmland in Trikala caused by severe weather conditions
8 April 2015 |
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Question for written answer to the Commission Rule 130 Notis Marias (ECR) |
As a result of recent heavy rainfall in the municipality of Farkadona in the Trikala area, hundreds of hectares of arable land have been flooded, destroying cereal crops and most farm production. According to local residents, this is a regular occurrence, heavy rainfall causing the the Pinios river to burst its banks because flood defences have not yet been completed. As a result, flooding occurs every winter in an area also afflicted by drought in summer.
In view off this:
Can the Commission say when it will release funding and how much in order to ensure:
1. | full and immediate compensation for damage sustained by farmers in Trikala as a result of the severe weather conditions referred to above and |
2. | completion of flood protection projects in the area? |
Source: European Parliament
Joint answer given by Mr Hogan on behalf of the Commission
A number of options are available to Member States for addressing situations resulting from extreme weather conditions such as the extremely heavy rainfall and the floods that the Honourable Member is referring to:
In Rural Development Programmes(1) co-financed by the EU, 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, Member States may consider using the income stabilisation tool to compensate for severe drops in income or provide support for restoring the agricultural production potential damaged by adverse climatic events(2).
A Member State can also decide to provide support from own resources, in accordance with the applicable state aid rules(3) or based on the de minimis regulation(4).
Moreover, the EU Solidarity Fund could contribute to the repair of essential public infrastructure. The Commission will assess this possibility as soon as the Greek authorities submit an application to mobilise the Fund.
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Source: European Parliament
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