Storm in Portugal’s central region

Subject: Storm in Portugal’s central region

In the last weekend of May, several districts in central Portugal – Viseu, particularly the southern Douro region, Guarda and Castelo Branco (already covered by a previous written question), were hit by thunderstorms and intense hail, leaving a trail of destruction across numerous agricultural areas. In some municipalities an estimated 80% of orchards, vineyards and elderberry plantations have been destroyed. At a time when, owing to COVID-19, producers are already facing serious problems such as difficulties selling or storing produce or labour shortages, these storms have further aggravated an already delicate situation.

1. What specific support measures can be considered to help here?

2. Could funds be made available to help farmers face this emergency by compensating them for their loss of income?

3. Given how vital it is that agriculture is maintained in this region, what aid could be provided to restore productive capacity in the future, in view of the importance of farming in the local economy?

Answer given by Mr Wojciechowski on behalf of the European Commission (5 August 2020)

The Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 for Mainland includes the support for investments for the restoration of agricultural land and production potential damaged by extreme weather conditions and a crop, animal and plant insurance premium measure.

The possibility to implement an income stabilisation tool for farmers is also available under the regulation, but Portugal decided not to implement it. Similar crisis prevention and management measures (1) are also available in the sectoral scheme for fruit and vegetables.

On the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis, the Commission adopted measures to mitigate the pandemic’s impact on the agricultural sector and allow increased flexibility in the implementation of the common agricultural policy (CAP).

These include giving Member States the possibility to provide farmers with more time to introduce and amend their aid applications, and to increase advances for direct payments and rural development area and animal-related payments to help increasing farmers’ cash flow.

Additional flexibility (2) is granted in terms of control and management of CAP measures, including operational programmes of producer organisations in the fruit and vegetables sector.

Recently an amendment to the Rural Development Regulation (3) has been adopted allowing Member States to provide support to farmers and small agri-food businesses in sectors most impacted by the Covid-related crisis.

⋅1∙ Article 33(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the

markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671).

⋅2∙ Regulations (EU) 2020/532, (EU) 2020/592 and (EU) 2020/600.

⋅3∙ Regulation (EU) No 2020/872, OJ L 204, 24.06.2020.