EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos has increased a proposed aid package for vegetable producers harmed by Germany’s E. coli outbreak.
Ciolos has offered EUR210m – up from an initial EUR150m rejected yesterday by EU ministers.
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He announced in Brussels this afternoon that the new offer meant that The European Commission would raise the amount of compensation to 50% of the average selling price between 2007 and 2010. The earlier proposal equated to 30% of prices over that period.
Ciolos claimed growers within producer organisations could use other subsidies, bringing that proportion up to 70%.
The EU farm chief called on member states to swiftly approve the new offer when their agriculture ministers meet next Tuesday in order to allow aid to be released next month.
Ciolos also expanded the proposed aid to cover courgettes and sweet peppers, as well as cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuces. Money would be funnelled via producer organisations and national government agricultural ministries and agencies.
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By GlobalDataMeanwhile, Ciolos said discovering the source of the outbreak was “the priority for halting this health crisis and restoring consumer confidence”.
He admitted the EU had “not been sufficiently prepared to deal with this type of crisis” and called for lessons learnt to be incorporated in the EU Common Agricultural Policy.
