The 450 million euros from the European Commission’s agricultural reserve “they don’t arrive” to respond to all damage caused by floods in Portugal. The statement was made by Christophe Hansen, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, who visited the most affected areas this Tuesday, February 17th.
Still, he stated that the European Commission will act “urgently” in supporting Portugal. According to Hansen, the 450 million available “they won’t be more than that”then it will be necessary to think about other instruments, as other European regions also have serious situations related to bad weather. One of these mechanisms could be the European Social Fund, which allows up to 25% of the amount to be made available quickly.
The commissioner also assured that farmers will continue to receive subsidies from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Support is guaranteed even if they are unable to maintain the same level of production due to losses. Hansen confirmed that the Government has already requested the activation of the European Union (EU) agricultural reserve and that Brussels is analyzing the data sent.
Another information given by the commissioner is that he is in contact with the European Investment Bank to develop a European agricultural reinsurance mechanism. “Many farmers cannot afford to lose everything every eight years without adequate protection”he stated.
Classifying Portugal as “the garden of Europe”recalled that the country produces around R$2.5 billion in fruits and small fruits, highlighting that the destruction of plantations “threatens European food security”. In a message published in two languages (English and Portuguese) on the social network X, he wrote: “When a country in the Union suffers, we all suffer. We grieve and together we will rebuild.”
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