Subject: Urgent activation of the agricultural crisis reserve to mitigate the devastating impact of torrential rainfall on the agricultural sector in affected areas of Spain
On 28 October, Spain was struck by a weather phenomenon known as a DANA (a high- altitude isolated depression), with numerous torrential rainstorms severely impacting the cities of Valencia, Almería and Málaga. In El Ejido, an important agricultural centre in the province of Almería, the volume of rainfall was recorded at 80 litres/m2. At the height of the season, it caused damage estimated at more than EUR 30 million to thousands of hectares of greenhouses. As a result, it will be impossible for local farmers to sustain themselves during the current harvest period.
1. Does the Commission intend to activate the agricultural crisis reserve as a matter of urgency to help the many farmers impacted by the storms, and to deploy the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (rescEU)?
2. In addition to CAP funding, does the Government of Spain have at its disposal EU funds which it could use to address the enormous financial losses that the storms have caused?
Submitted: 30.10.2024
Answer given by Mr Hansen on behalf of the European Commission
(8 January 2025)
1. Commission services and the Spanish administrations are acting according to their respective competences. The Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food informed the Commission that EU support is needed. The EU aid instruments are activated at the request of the competent Spanish authorities. According to this principle, the Spanish authorities submitted a formal request to mobilise the agricultural reserve and provided information on the estimated damage. The Commission will examine the application under Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 (1). The budget for 2025, to be distributed among the Member States, is EUR 450 million. The request from Spain is being treated with all urgency.
The EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) aims to strengthen cooperation between national civil protection services of Member States and Spain activated the UCPM on 8 November 2024.
2. The Commission has proposed an amendment to the legislation governing the rural development programmes to provide additional support to farmers affected by natural disasters. The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EARDF) can also offer support to restore the agricultural potential.
Spain can also redirect funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (Next Generation EU) towards reconstruction measures by modifying its plan in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/241 (2).
Support is also available under the European Union Solidarity Fund (3), as well as under cohesion policy. In that regard, the Commission puts forward the RESTORE legislative proposal (4), introducing some budgetary flexibilities.
The previous information is not exhaustive but shows the EU’s readiness to support the Spanish people.
1 ∙ ⸱ https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32013R1308
2 ∙ ⸱ https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32021R0241
3 ∙ ⸱ Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund (OJ L 311, 14.11.2002, p. 3) as amended by
Regulation (EU) No 661/2014 of the European Parliament and the Council of 15 May 2014 (OJ L 189, 27.6.2014, p. 143) and by Regulation (EU) 2020/461 of the European Parliament and the Council of 30 March 2020 (OJ L 99, 31.3.2020, p. 9). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/? uri=celex:32002R2012 4 ∙ ⸱
RESTORE — Regional Emergency Support to Reconstruction proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 on the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund and Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 on the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), published on 21 October 2024.