Compensation for livestock potential

Subject: Compensation for livestock potential

In its response to question E-007019/2017, the Commission noted that the measures for compensation of livestock production potential affected by natural disasters and catastrophes, such as fires, and the prevention measures are ‘currently not part of the Galician RDP’ and that the Member State or the region ‘can at any moment in time evaluate the pertinence to make use of this measure, in consultation with their relevant partners’, stating that the Commission ‘is ready to analyse and discuss with the Member State any proposal that may alleviate the difficult described for the farmers’.

In view of the history of fires in the Autonomous Community of Galicia, the Commission is asked to respond to the following:

1) What is the Commission’s opinion on the suspension of measures for the compensation of livestock production potential affected by catastrophes, such as fires, in Galicia’s current RDP?

2) Is there room for amendments to the RDP to accommodate the measures? If so, have there been any proposals in this regard?

3) Has the Commission received proposals from the Galician and/or Spanish authorities to make support provided to affected livestock farmers, who are CAP beneficiaries, more flexible?

Answer given by Mr Hogan on behalf of the Commission

(7 May 2018)

The Commission is not aware of the suspension, mentioned by the Honourable Member, of measures for the compensation of livestock production potential affected by catastrophes in the Galician Rural Development Programme (RDP).

The Commission has not received any proposal to include measures for restoring agricultural production potential damaged by natural disasters and catastrophic events and introduction of appropriate prevention actions in the Galician RDP or to make support provided to affected livestock farmers who are Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) beneficiaries more flexible.

As the Commission pointed out in its answer to Written Question E-007019/2017, the Member State/region can at any moment in time evaluate the pertinence to make use of this measure, in consultations with their relevant partners.

The Commission is ready to analyse and discuss with the Member State any proposal that may alleviate the difficult situation described for the farmers.