Portugal defended an integrated European strategy to respond to natural disasters and climate crises and received unanimous support from the other Member States at the meeting of the Council of Ministers of the European Union (EU) in Luxembourg.
“We proposed that this council debate a European response to extreme events and that we have action, an integrated strategy, response to extreme phenomena and climate crises,” the Minister of Agriculture, José Manuel Fernandes, told Lusa.
According to the minister, the provision of direct support, the use of the EU budget as a guarantee of national insurance that remains accessible, in which the European Investment Bank can also participate, and the flexibility of the funds were discussed.
Regarding the flexibility of the funds, the minister considered the European Commission’s proposal, released on Monday, as “a good precedent”, which allows, in the event of natural disasters such as the fires in Portugal, the use of funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) for the 2021-2027 programming period and also from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) in the 2014-2022 framework.
Regarding the ERDF and the ESF+, explained José Manuel Fernandes, Up to 10% of the current amounts can be used and with a European type of financing up to 100% of the supported measures.”without any national effort” and with an advance payment of up to 30%, with eligible expenses from January 1 to the end of the programming period, which extends until 2029.
Also within the scope of the EAFRD there is a change that allows greater flexibility in aid to farmers and owners of forest areas, with aid having a limit of 42 thousand euros and with the condition that the agricultural loss is greater than 30% and Eligibility also begins on January 1, but ends on December 31, 2025.
The minister also defended the reinforcement of EU action in prevention and resilience in the face of increasingly frequent extreme weather events.
Source: Observadora
