Subject: Agricultural and livestock sector and several municipalities in Andalusia in crisis as a result of drought
According to the State Meteorological Agency, Andalusia has been experiencing drought conditions for over 94 months. The autonomous community is in the 4 % of territory covered by a European Drought Observatory alert, and experienced its highest ever recorded mean temperature in 2023. More than 200 city councils have put measures in place to restrict the use of water, affecting 5 million people.
The agricultural and livestock sector, which makes up 25 % of Andalusia’s GDP and provides 10 % of jobs there, has suffered the most from the drought. Businesses are being forced to change what they are growing or to slaughter cattle. Farmer and livestock breeder representatives believe that 2023 was the worst agricultural year in a century. This crisis is causing job losses, price hikes and food insecurity. In light of the above:
1. What programmes will the Commission implement, under or separate to the CAP, to support the sector so that Andalusia does not experience food insecurity?
2. What should the Spanish Government do to help the Regional Government of Andalusia or local authorities support Andalusian SMEs in the agricultural and livestock sector?
Submitted:11.1.2024
Joint answer given by Mr Wojciechowski on behalf of the European Commission (26 February 2024)
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) promotes a sustainable and resilient agricultural sector to ensure food security and fosters and supports strategies for environmental protection and climate action.
Available EU and national funding provide support to a set of tools assisting farmers and local communities to respond and adapt to the consequences of adverse weather events such as the drought in Spain, in all agricultural sectors. The CAP Strategic Plans 2023-2027(CSPs) contain a range of instruments to support adaptation to climate change and preventive action, to deal with water management challenges and support a transition to more water resilient agriculture given the increasing water shortages and more severe droughts. CSPs can also support risk management measures to better shield food production against risks of drought.
EU funding to promote a more sustainable water management in Spain is also available through the European Regional Development Fund. For the period 2021-2027, the Programme for Andalucía allocated EUR 85 million to support a more efficient use of water resources and address water-related climate risks, such as droughts.
In addition, the Commission adopted in July 2023 an emergency support package for the agricultural sectors affected by drought and other adverse weather events, funded through the 2023 agricultural reserve (1).
Spain benefitted from EUR 81 million. The Spanish authorities decided how to distribute this amount amongst the sectors most in need.
In the case of adverse climatic events which can be assimilated to a natural disaster, national authorities may also grant, under certain conditions, support to farmers from their national budget in line with EU State aid rules (2).
1 ∙ ⸱ Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1465 of 14 July 2023 providing for emergency financial support for the agricultural sectors affected by
specific problems impacting on the economic viability of agricultural producers, OJ L 180, 17.7.2023, p. 21, http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2023/1465/oj 2 ∙ ⸱ Guidelines for state aid in the agricultural and forestry sectors and in rural areas 2022/C 485/01, OJ C 485, 21.12.2022, p. 1; Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/2472 declaring certain categories of aid in the agricultural and forestry sectors and in rural areas compatible with the internal market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, OJ L 327, 21.12.2022, p. 1; ; Commission Regulation (EU) No 1408/2013 of 18 December 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.