Subject: Drought in Greece
Drought in Greece has worsened significantly, with recent figures showing that reservoir water levels have dropped by more than 30 %. In some parts of the country there has been no rainfall since the start of the year. In North Greece, for instance, notably in the municipalities of Nestos and Doxato as well as others, corn production had fluctuated between 1 300 and 1 800 kilos per 0.1 hectares, but this year it did not exceed 400 to 700 kilos per 0.1 hectare. Producers are estimated to have made losses of between 40 % and 70 %.
Drought is putting additional pressure on the already expensive factors of production. Pastures are scarce too, forcing livestock farmers to sell their animals, since they are no longer able to feed them. This situation is causing farmers to quit livestock farming, which is in turn heightening the risk of desertification and fires.
In view of this, can the Commission answer the following:
What forms of compensation can be given to corn producers affected by drought, who are seeing their income drop sharply this year?
Submitted: 22.10.2024
Answer given by Mr Hansen on behalf of the European Commission
(6 February 2025)
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan Regulation (1) already includes a number of interventions that may help farmers to perform preventive actions, especially to prevent crises and build on medium and long-term resilience.
For mitigating short-term impacts, the available tools include direct payments to support farmers’ incomes, risk management tools helping farmers managing production risks due to adverse events, including severe drought, sectoral interventions supporting replanting or restocking, and investments in the restoration of production potential.
Under the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 (2), Greece envisages also support for investments to restore agricultural and forestry potential following natural disasters, adverse climatic or catastrophic events.
On 19 December 2024 (3), the co-legislators adopted the Commission proposal to amend Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 (4) to allow Member States to support with liquidity beneficiaries who were affected by a destruction of at least 30% of the relevant production potential.
It is up to the Member States to decide if they will use this possibility. If justified, the Commission can also use resources from the agricultural reserve to provide some support.
Greek authorities may also support farmers affected by adverse climatic conditions in line with EU State aid rules (without the need for prior notification to the Commission if based on provisions of the Agricultural Block Exemption Regulation (5) or, with prior notification, under the Agricultural Guidelines (6)).
Limited support can also be granted under the Agricultural de minimis aid Regulation (7).
1 ∙ ⸱ https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?toc=OJ%3AL%3A2021%3A435%3ATOC&uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L_.2021.435.01.0001.01.ENG
2 ∙ ⸱ https://www.agrotikianaptixi.gr/category/sskap-2023-2027/sskap-egkrisi-tropopoiiseis/
3 ∙ ⸱ https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32024R3242
4 ∙ ⸱ OJ L, 2020/2220, 28.12.2020.
5 ∙ ⸱ OJ L 327, 21.12.2022, p. 1-81: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02022R2472-20231213
6 ∙ ⸱ OJ C 485, 21.12.2022, p. 1-90: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:02022XC1221(01)-20240305
7 ∙ ⸱ Regulation 1408/2013. OJ L 352, 24.12.2013, p. 9-17 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32013R1408) amended by
Regulation 2024/3118. OJ L, 2024/3118, 13.12.2024 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202403118).