Crevits gets support measures for agricultural sector

Flemish Minister of Agriculture Hilde Crevits (CD&V) asked the European Commission last Monday to come up with support measures for the European agricultural sector that is affected by the war in Ukraine. ​ The commission announced today that it is releasing a support package of 500 million euros. 6.27 million euros of this is earmarked for Belgian farmers.

Europe is vulnerable to the war in Ukraine because it is an important source country for many raw materials, ranging from fertilizers and seeds, to animal feed and energy sources. Thus, high costs threaten to pose production challenges to farmers and consequently drive up food prices. For food supply as such, there is no danger, given that Europe is self-sufficient for many agricultural products.

The support package should mainly support producers who risk facing unsustainably high costs. With the price of their product rising, they risk finding no customers. To counter this threat of market distortion, the Commission is offering each of the 27 member states an envelope that they can use to support with specific measures those farmers who are hardest hit by the Ukraine crisis.

For Belgium, 6.27 million euros are set aside. France (89 million euros), Spain (64 million) and Germany (60 million) are the biggest beneficiaries. Member states may exceptionally top up this aid to 200 percent. By June 30 at the latest, they must inform the Commission of the measures they intend to take.

Crevits reacts with satisfaction to the Commission proposal. "It is important that now, at a time when international supply is faltering, we can maintain European food production," she says. "Now we are going to look at how we can translate European support and flexibility in a way that can fully support our Flemish farmers to produce to the maximum and sustainably."

Green deal at risk

The Commission also wants to bring forward some of the European direct payments and there will be specific interventions for the pork sector. From March 25, support for the private storage of meat can be applied for, provided it is kept off the market for two to five months. There will be a temporary exception for growing food and food crops on land that should actually remain fallow, while the rules for importing animal feed are temporarily relaxed.

Despite the proposed exceptions, the Commission says its plans still fit within Europe's "farm to fork" strategy, which aims to make the food system more sustainable under the Green Deal. But not everyone agrees. For example, according to MEP Sara Matthieu (Green), the measures are accompanied by good intentions, but create the opposite effect. "The agricultural lobby and agribusiness giants are using the war in Ukraine to water down the ambitions of the Green Deal," she says. The transition to a resilient and sustainable agricultural policy just needs to be accelerated. "We mainly import feed and fertilizers made with fossil fuels from Ukraine and Russia. The EU must now seize the opportunity to make the transition from intensive livestock farming and agriculture to a sustainable and local food system."

For other MPs, however, the Commission is not going far enough. "I call on the Commission to allow a temporary exception to the use of reclaimed manure for agriculture," said Tom Vandenkendelaere (CD&V). "Farmers see their bill for fertilizers triple and can't wait months anymore." Hilde Vautmans (Open Vld) also wants the limits on the use of nitrogen from animal manure to be raised, in line with the manure limits. "Without fertilization, our harvests are in danger of being halved. The huge price increases and the impending shortage of fertilizers must be tackled urgently."

The European Parliament will vote tomorrow/Thursday on a resolution on ensuring security of supply within and outside the EU. With its measures, the Commission is also taking steps to help ensure food security in places like Ukraine, North Africa and the Middle East.