Spain would be the main beneficiary under plans by the European Commission to extend emergency measures for growers affected by the Russian veto on EU agricultural products. Under the new proposal, tabled on Tuesday, 12 member states will be eligible for compensation for some 400,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables withdrawn from the market. This would include 95,000 tonnes of Spanish produce, including 58,600 tonnes of citrus. The proposal also covers apples, pears, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, carrots, plums, table grapes and kiwifruit.
José Ciscar, vicepresident of agriculture, fisheries, food and water for Valencia, welcomed the inclusion of citrus in the new proposal but called for it to be extended further to persimmon and pomegranate production. Valencia exported €125m of fruits and vegetables to Russia in 2013.
The new measures were announced in the wake of a decision by the Commission to suspend the €125m aid packaging previously agreed amid fears that some Polish growers were making fraudulent claims.
They are an attempt to ensure that assistance is better targeted to the countries where it is most needed. The volumes are based on the amount of each product that each member state exported to Russia in 2013.
The aid package is expected to come into force once the budget has been approved by the relevant EU institutions.
