PURPOSE: to address and mitigate the impact of natural disasters on the Union agri-food and forestry sectors.
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) 2024/3242 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 as regards specific measures under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development to provide additional assistance to Member States affected by natural disasters.
CONTENT: the recent natural disasters in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as in Southern Europe, have had a devastating effect on the rural populations living and working in those regions. A considerable amount of agricultural and forestry production potential has been destroyed and, as a consequence, farmers, forest holders and rural businesses in the regions affected by natural disasters are faced with significant losses of income.
Alongside the Regulation on emergency regional support for reconstruction (RESTORE), this Regulation amending Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 governing the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) aims to give Member States more flexibility to provide emergency support and targeted liquidity to farmers, foresters and related businesses affected by natural disasters.
The regulation concerning the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development will enable Member States to reallocate unused 2014-2020 funds via a modification of their rural development programmes.
The support will consist of emergency assistance to farmers, foresters and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are particularly affected by natural disasters, in order to ensure the continuity of their business activities. The support will be conditional on formal recognition by the competent public authorities of the Member States that a natural disaster occurred on or after 1 January 2024 and that the natural disaster or the measures adopted to eradicate or contain a plant disease or pest have caused the destruction of at least 30% of the relevant production or potential. Support for the restoration of agricultural and forestry production potential following natural disasters will prioritise operations based on the ‘Build Back Better’ principle.
The support will take the form of a lump sum payment to be paid by 31 December 2025, based on applications for support approved by the competent authority by 30 June 2025. The maximum amount of support will not exceed EUR 42 000 per beneficiary.
The resources for the new measure will be programmed with a co-financing rate of up to 100 %.
To reduce the administrative burden of beneficiaries affected by natural disasters and the Member States when recognising ‘force majeure’, Member States should have the possibility to consider the whole area to be gravely affected by a natural disaster.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 23.12.2024.