EU earmarks €98.6 m to back farmers in countries impacted by climatic, natural disasters

21 / 02 / 2025

• Global Experiences
• news

Member States of the European Commission gave a positive opinion to earmarking €98,6 million from the agricultural reserve to directly support farmers in Spain, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia and Hungary who have been impacted by exceptional adverse climatic events and natural disasters since spring 2024.

The Commission will distribute €68 million to Spain, €16,2 million to Hungary, €6,7 million to Croatia, €4,2 million to Latvia and €3,5 million to Cyprus, of exceptional support.

This measure will help supporting farmers from these countries who have experienced a loss in production and, as a consequence, a loss of income. The above amounts demonstrate the EU’s continued solidarity with affected farmers and can be complemented by up to 200% of national funds.

The national authorities must distribute this aid by 30 September 2025 and ensure that farmers are the ultimate beneficiaries. The five Member States will also have to notify the Commission by 31 May 2025 about the details of the measures’ implementation.

This includes the criteria used to determine the granting of individual aid, the intended impact of the measure, the forecasts for payments broken down per month until the end of September, and the level of additional support to be provided. The notification should also indicate the actions taken to avoid distortion of competition and overcompensation.

The common agricultural policy (CAP) 2023-2027 includes an agricultural reserve of €450 million per year to cope with market disruptions or exceptional events affecting production or distribution. Due to the growing frequency of adverse climatic events, the Commission has emphasized the need to strengthen risk management tools and encourage their broader adoption across the Union, along with proactive measures to address underlying causes and enhance farm resilience in the medium term.