Member states support unused funds for disaster recovery

Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – EU representatives support using unused rural development funds (EAFRD) to assist countries affected by climate disasters.

European Union member states’ representatives in the Special Committee on Agriculture have supported providing further aid to EU countries affected by recent unusual natural disasters through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).

How will EU unused rural funds aid recovery efforts?

In his remarks, István Nagy, Hungarian Minister for Agriculture said: “The EU is enabling those member states who have unused rural development funds from the previous programming period to swiftly and flexibly react to the devastating effects of recent natural disasters. This will allow EU countries to use the uncommitted 2014-2020 rural development funds to recover and rebuild, by providing emergency assistance to farmers, foresters and businesses affected by climate-related disasters.”

Member states will be able to reprogram uncommitted EAFRD funds left from the 2014-2020 programming period to swiftly deliver emergency assistance to farmers, forest holders, and small and medium-sized enterprises impacted by climate-related disasters that have occurred since 1 January 2024.

How much aid can farmers receive from the eafrd?

The aid can be 100% financed through unused EU funds from the 2014-2020 EAFRD and it will come in the form of lump sums of a max of €42 000 per beneficiary. Moreover, member states will have the flexibility to raise and reinforce steps to restore the production potential of affected farms and forests.

What flexibility do member states have with eafrd funds?

The proposal also decreases the administrative burden for both the recipients of EAFRD assistance and national administrations. Once the regulation is assumed, the member states concerned will have to decide how much grant to remobilise to deal with recent disasters, according to their specific requirements. They will then be mandated to submit programme modifications to the Commission for review and adoption.

In the next step, the proposal will now have to be assumed in the Parliament’s plenary. The regulation will then be formally assumed by the Council, signed by the representatives of the Council and the Parliament and issued in the Official Journal.