site.btaEU Countries Support Commission's Measures against Difficulties in Agriculture Caused by Russia's Import Ban, Insist on More Support for Producers

ESD 17:04:30 06-09-2014
MY1704ES.109
109 POLITICS - EU - RUSSIA - SANCTIONS - AGRICULTURE

EU Countries Support Commission's Measures
against Difficulties in Agriculture Caused by Russia's Import
Ban, Insist on More Support for Producers


Brussels, September 6 (BTA) - The EU countries support the
measures adopted by the European Commission (EC) for overcoming
the difficulties in the agriculture sector, caused by Russia's
import ban, but see the need for additional measures in support
of agricultural producers, EU Agriculture Ministers agreed
during the extraordinary Agriculture and Fisheries Council, held
here on Friday, said the Bulgarian Agriculture Ministry on
Saturday.

Agriculture and Food Minister Vassil Groudev participated in
the Council, which looks at the potential impact of the Russian
import ban on certain EU agricultural products and the EU
response and met with European Agriculture and Rural Development
Commissioner Dacian Ciolos.

In his speech, Groudev insisted that the measures be applicable
in all Member States and that the equal treatment of
agricultural producers across the whole EU is guaranteed. The
financial support, allocated by the EC so far, is not enough to
ensure that the market situation in the sector is efficiently
contained, he commented.

The budget for applying the measures regarding fruits and
vegetables, except apples and pears, must be increased. The
measures in the milk and diary products sector are inapplicable
in Bulgaria, which is why direct support for milk producers must
be provided to help them compensate their losses, resulting
from the crisis, Groudev said.

Commissioner Ciolos explained that at this stage the EC's
efforts are focused on the most affected sectors - fruits and
vegetables and milk and diary products. The Commission will
continue to closely monitor the situation on the market and is
ready to use all support instruments provided under the Common
Agricultural Policy, he said.

Meanwhile work will continue to find new markets, for which the
EC is allocating 60 million euro in additional support for
carrying out promotional programmes for agricultural products.
It is important that the applied measures are effective and
target-oriented in order for there to be a true effect on EU
agricultural producers, reads the Agriculture Ministry's press
release. VI/MY