Farmers in the Aegean islands - EU support

The European Union has special rules to assist agriculture in the smaller Aegean islands that are affected by geographical and economic factors.

ACT

Regulation (EU) No 229/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 March 2013 laying down specific measures for agriculture in favour of the smaller Aegean islands and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1405/2006.

SUMMARY

WHAT DOES THIS REGULATION DO?

It allows for special arrangements that aim to compensate these islands for the difficulties they face due to their remote location. It has two aims:

• 1.

  to guarantee the supply to these smaller islands of products that are essential for human consumption or processing, as well as agricultural inputs, at a cost that compensates for their isolation;

• 2.

  to ensure, in the longer term, the continuity and development of local production.

KEY POINTS

Management and budget

Greece decides on the appropriate geographical level at which to establish the programme and submits it to the Commission for approval. Each year, an amount of €23.93 million (of which no more than €7.11 million can be used to finance special supply arrangements) is available from the EU budget, as laid down in Article 18(2) and (3) of the regulation.

Specific supply arrangements

Where these are agreed, they are granted on condition that the impact of the economic advantage is passed on to the end-user who, as appropriate, may be the consumer in the case of products meant for direct consumption, the end processor or packager in the case of products meant for the processing or packaging industries or farmers in the case of products used for animal feed or as agricultural inputs.

The advantage is calculated as being equal to the amount of the aid. The managing authority may require a security to be lodged equal to the amount of the advantage.

Measures to assist local agricultural products

The programme may include measures to support the production, processing or sale of agricultural products in the outermost regions.

Each measure may include a variety of actions. For each action, the programme must define at least the beneficiaries, the eligibility conditions and the unit amount of aid allocated to that action.

Checks and penalties

Products that are the subject of specific supply arrangements are checked when they enter the smaller Aegean islands, as well as when they are exported or dispatched. Where the rules are not respected, the authorities may recover the advantage granted to operators (i.e. farmers and companies that own farms) and temporarily suspend/revoke their registration.

Measures to assist local agricultural products are verified by means of both administrative and on-the-spot checks. In the event of a wrongful payment, the beneficiary concerned is obliged to reimburse the amount in question.

WHEN DOES THIS REGULATION APPLY?

From 21 March 2013. Regulation (EU) No 229/2013 repeals Regulation (EC) No 1405/2006.

For further information, see the section on POSEI programmes and specific measures in favour of the smaller Aegean islands on the European Commission’s website.

last update 16.03.2015