Source: European Parliament
1. 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, which represent the biggest share of the CAP budget and support farmers’ incomes, risk management tools helping farmers manage production risks due to adverse weather events, as well as sectoral interventions supporting replanting or restocking, and investments in the restoration of production potential. Under the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 (CSP)[2], in addition to direct payments, Greece envisages also support for investments to restore agricultural and forestry potential following natural disasters, adverse climatic or catastrophic events.
2. Moreover, on 19 December 2024[3] the Commission’s proposal amending Regulation (EU) 2020/2220[4] was adopted by the co-legislators to allow Member States to provide liquidity support to beneficiaries affected in 2024 by natural disasters and a destruction of at least 30% of the relevant production potential. It will be up to the Member States to decide if they will use this new support possibility under their Rural Development Programmes 2014-2022.
The design of the future Multiannual Financial Framework and its instruments lies ahead. The Common Agricultural Policy must become simpler and more targeted and find the right balance between incentives, investments and regulation. The priority will be to strengthen the competitiveness, resilience and sustainability of the agricultural sector.
- [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] Regulation (EU) 2024/3242 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024 amending Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 as regards specific measures under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development to provide additional assistance to Member States affected by natural disasters; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32024R3242&qid=1735899275178
- [4] Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 December 2020 laying down certain transitional provisions for support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and from the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) in the years 2021 and 2022 and amending Regulations (EU) No 1305/2013, (EU) No 1306/2013 and (EU) No 1307/2013 as regards resources and application in the years 2021 and 2022 and Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 as regards resources and the distribution of such support in respect of the years 2021 and 2022 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2020/2220/oj/eng