Late payment of the 2015 compensatory allowance to Greek livestock farmers and protection of their acquired rights in the delimitation of pastures
| 30 June 2016 |
|
|
| Question for written answer to the Commission Rule 130 Notis Marias (ECR) |
||
According to the applicable EU legislation, subsidies and aid are provided for livestock farmers, as specified in particular in Greece in the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020.
However, as of the end of June, the balance of the 2015 compensatory allowance has not been given to Greek livestock farmers and, as a result, beneficiary livestock farmers are unable to meet their payments to OGA, the agricultural insurance scheme, and they are at risk of losing tax arrangements if they do not pay their instalments by 30 June 2016.
In his oral statement, the competent minister said that the architecture of the new CAP was responsible for the aforementioned delays in payment as, he claimed, it creates bureaucracy and delays.
What is more, livestock farmers are complaining about the arrangements made for the delimitation of permanent pastures, as the process for delimiting them does not take into account the intensely mountainous terrain in Greece, which will result in the limitation of the recognised pasture lands compared to the past and, consequently, in a decrease to the compensatory allowance paid.
What measures will the Commission take:
| — | to ensure that the subsidies and aid, particularly the 2015 compensatory allowance, are paid in full and on time to Greek livestock farmers? |
| — | to safeguard the rights acquired by livestock farmers in view of the fact that Greece is very mountainous? |
| Answer given by Mr Hogan on behalf of the Commission | ||||
| The Commission approved the Greek Rural Development Programme for 2014-2020 on 11 December 2015. The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development operates under shared management. Specific aspects of programme implementation, such as ensuring that payments to beneficiaries are made in full and in a timely manner, fall under the responsibility of the Greek Paying Agency, which needs to ensure compliance with the regulatory requirements.
The new delimitation of Areas of Natural Constraints that the Honourable Member refers to, will only come into force in 2018 and is thus not linked to the payment of the balance of the 2015 compensatory allowance. As far as the issue of delimitation of eligible pasture lands is concerned, the Greek authorities have implemented an action plan in the last years, in order to ensure that the definition of agricultural area is in line with the EU legislation. Concerning mountainous areas in Greece, the Greek Rural Development Programme provides for payments to farmers in mountain areas and other areas facing natural or other specific constraints in line with Articles 31 and 32 of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013(1). For more information on specific measures of the Greek Rural Development Programme for 2014-2020, the Honourable Member is advised to contact the Managing Authority of the Greek Rural Development Programme directly.
|
||||
Recent Comments