European Agriculture Commissioner Wojciechowski expects EU decisions ‘soon’ on increased financial support for agriculture, in addition to previously promised emergency aid and state support. He is investigating whether unpaid subsidies for rural development from 2021 and 2022 (‘second pillar’) can be transferred to the CAP fund for direct income support.
Croatia requested extra funds from the Rural Development Fund (EAFRD) last week in the Agriculture Council and received the support of eleven other member states. Besides Croatia and Spain, the petition was signed by Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski intends to have the claim verified.
Additionally, the European agri-chief expects a solution next week to the dispute regarding the ‘rejected’ Polish request for fertilizer subsidies. Warsaw wanted to use money from the large corona recovery fund to subsidize fertilizer purchases, but Brussels did not agree.
Brussels cited ongoing disagreements with the Polish government over potential penalties on that Polish recovery fund due to disputes about the rule of law in Poland. Furthermore, the high fertilizer prices are unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic but are mainly a consequence of the energy crisis and Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Poland will receive about 44 million euros from the European emergency fund (of 500 million euros). Poland must add another 88 million euros itself. Wojciechowski said last week that within this framework it is possible to provide national government aid to farmers up to a maximum of 35,000 euros per farm. However, subsidies for fertilizers will be capped at approximately 5,300 euros per farmer.
The support is intended for farmers who have suffered due to Russian aggression against Ukraine and the situation created by the preparations for this aggression. Everything points to the European Commission’s decision being made in the coming days and aid for Polish farmers becoming possible – said Wojciechowski.