Brussels considers granting drought aid to Spain
Spain wants Europe to advance funds to help suffering farmers
Crucial talks will be held in Brussels this week when the EU Agricultural Ministers meet to discuss the ongoing drought in several member states, including Spain, Portugal and Italy.
The delegation travelling from Madrid has already requested that the European Commission front funds from the agricultural reserve to allow the Spanish government to grant badly-needed aid to farmers, whose crop yields have been decimated by the lack of rain so far this spring.
While it’s true that Spain has experienced more rain than usual at the tail-end of May, the driest April in history was preceded by a relatively mild autumn and winter. As a result, fruit and vegetables that require cooler periods and damper conditions have failed to mature.
For the meeting in Brussels, the Portuguese and Spanish have submitted a joint request that funds be released immediately, before the normal crosschecks are made, and this proposal has the support of Rome and Paris. The EC is also considering other measures to alleviate the effects of the drought, including relaxing the requirements on certain farming practices.
On the flip side, the Commission has submitted plans for a ‘restoration of nature’ project which has been roundly rejected by the Committee on Agriculture of the European Parliament. The objective of the plan is to repair 80% of habitats that are in poor condition by repopulating land with insects, birds and other pollinators and introducing organic carbon into the soil, which would naturally mean more costs for farmers.
However, the important point is that the Committee on Agriculture doesn’t actually have the authority to grant any aid to Spain. This decision, ultimately, will be left in the hands of Environmental Commission of the European Parliament.
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