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BRUSSELS The Minister of Agriculture, José Manuel Fernandes, assured today in Brussels that Portugal will ask for all possible help for farmers affected by the recent fires, but first an assessment of the damage must be made.
“Everything that is possible, we will ask for,” he said, in statements to journalists on the sidelines of the European Union (EU) Agriculture Council of Ministers, which is taking place today in Brussels.
José Manuel Fernandes specified that before advancing before having “an assessment [of the damage], which is underway”.
“The teams are all making a huge effort to know this assessment, which could even trigger the European Union’s solidarity fund,” he added, stressing that the assessment will be made “in the shortest possible time”.
The minister also said that the EU Solidarity Fund is allocated ten weeks after the disaster occurs, with Portugal within the deadline to request its mobilization, but it requires that the damage be more than 3,000 million euros or 0.6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
However, he explained: “We will not wait for the funds to act,” especially because the mobilization of the Solidarity Fund “depends on the volume of damage”.
Regarding the agricultural crisis reserve, the governor highlighted that it “has a financial limitation” of 450 million euros per year, recalling that Portugal has defended the increase of its financial allocation”. (23/09/24)
The minister will ask for “all possible help” from the EU once the fire damages are assessed
José Manuel Fernandes specified that before moving forward we need to have “an accounting [of the damages], which is underway.”
“The teams are all making a tremendous effort to know this accounting, which could even trigger the European Union’s solidarity fund,” he added, emphasizing that the assessment will be done “in the shortest possible time.”
