Copa & Cogeca welcomed tonight endorsement by EU Farm Ministers of the 500 million rescue package put forward by the EU Commission to help improve the critical situation facing EU agricultural producers.
Speaking in Brussels, Copa & Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen said “We welcome the fact that EU Farm Ministers have broadly endorsed the plan worth 500 million euros put forward by EU Farm Commissioner Phil Hogan to help solve the unprecedented crisis hitting EU agricultural markets”.
“The rescue package includes aid worth 150 million euros to give incentives at EU level to EU dairy producers to reduce on a voluntary basis their production as well as national envelopes worth a total of 350 million euros to give targeted aid to EU milk and livestock farmers. We look forward to getting further clarification on the details when member states experts discuss the rescue package in the next weeks. We urge them to agree the package, which includes an update in the withdrawal price for fruit and vegetables and also pig meat measures, as soon as possible to help improve producers short term cash flow problems so that they can meet upcoming demand”, Pesonen stressed.
