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The amount of 10 million EUR allocated to Romania to support farmers affected by the influx of grain from Ukraine is derisory and I asked Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski to reanalyze the calculation formula, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Petre Daea told AGERPRES on Tuesday.
"I argued at the Council, in the discussion with the European Commissioner for Agriculture, that the amount is small for Romania. It is a derisory amount. He explained to us the constraints he has, justifying that the Commission's decision was to grant only 56 million EUR from the total crisis reserve of 450 million EUR. A very small amount for the needs of the six countries, but of which only three received. Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia did not receive a single cent. For now, these are the amounts. However, I have requested to review the calculation formula and it was agreed that it will be analyzed together with the established Romanian experts ever since September 26, 2022, led by Achim Irimescu from the Permanent Representation of Romania to the European Union," Petre Daea stated.
The MADR official argues that this was the proposal discussed on Monday, March 20, in Brussels, at the meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, a proposal that will be submitted to the 27 member states for approval during a technical meeting on March 30, 2023, told Agerpres.
He mentioned that he was the first minister in the Council of Ministers who raised the issue of activating the crisis reserve at the meeting he had with the Commissioner for Agriculture on September 26. "I explained to him what are the consequences of the war in Ukraine regarding the grains imported in Romania, seriously affecting the Romanian farmers who were unable to capitalize on the production obtained and the maintenance of grain in stock and the lack of liquidity for the execution of specific works. Monthly, from October 2022 I raised this issue to the Council of Ministers. In January, at the Council meeting, together with Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, I presented an information on the situation of farmers in countries close to the conflict. The Commissioner assured that he will activate the crisis reserve, presenting in particular the extremely difficult situation of Romania," Petre Daea pointed out.
The European Commission announced on Monday that it wants to use a crisis reserve to support farmers in Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, in a total amount of 56.3 million EUR, financed from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reserve, to compensate for "economic losses because of the increase in grain and oilseed imports" coming from Ukraine "and limiting the impact of market imbalances."
Thus, it was proposed to allocate an amount of 29.5 million EUR to Poland, 16.75 million EUR to Bulgaria, and 10.05 million EUR to Romania. In addition, the EC authorizes the three countries to double these amounts through state aid.
Last week, several farmers' organizations requested a real support mechanism for farmers, as a result of the grain transit from Ukraine, taking into account that the amount of 10 million EUR, the compensation from the Commission, does not cover the damage caused. "The Romanian farmers refuse these derisory amounts, as a sign of protest," representatives of the Pro Agro National Federation argued.
