Work in Parliament Maria da Graça Carvalho subscreve carta aberta a pedir medidas urgentes contra a seca

Maria da Graça Carvalho, eurodeputada e vice-coordenadora do PPE, esteve entre os vários deputados que, a 26 de abril assinaram uma carta aberta a apelar à Comissão Europeia que tome medidas urgentes para fazer face à seca que vários países mediterrânicos atravessam.

No documento, endereçado ao Comissário Europeu da Agricultura e Desenvolvimento Rural, Janusz Wojciechowski, os eurodeputados consideram que o impacto da redução da precipitação e das altas temperaturas está a ter um efeito muito negativo no setor agrícola e na sua rentabilidade, o que levará a uma diminuição da produção e a um aumento dos custos.

Leia aqui a carta aberta na íntegra em inglês:

Dear Commissioner,

for the second year in a row, the drought that devastates Spain and other Mediterranean countries is harshly damaging the countryside and livestock. The impact of reduced rainfall and high temperatures is having a very negative effect on the agricultural sector and its profitability, and will lead to a decrease in production and an increase in costs. This situation also affects other Member States and adds to the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the EU agricultural sector.

We believe that the European Commission must react as quickly as possible to the exceptional situation, mobilising all available resources. We therefore consider it necessary to send you the following requests:

1) Immediate mobilization of the crisis reserve for farmers in the Member States affected by the impact of drought on their productions.

2) Mobilization of all the still available EAFRD resources by extending the Regulation to alleviate the consequences of the invasion of Ukraine, known as EAFRD Measure 22, by:
a) Extension of the scope of M22 to farmers, livestock farmers and SMEs in the sectors most affected by the drought.
b) Extension of the eligibility period for M22 until the end of the implementation of the 2014-2022 RDPs, i.e. until 31 December 2025.
c) Taking into consideration the possibility of financing M22 with EFARD (ERI funds) as one of the objectives is the resilience of farms.

3)- Inclusion in the framework of the CAP 2023-2027, a flat-rate aid similar to M22, to support farmers, livestock farmers and SMEs in crises resulting from exceptional situations such as those that have arisen over the last few years, with the same scope of application as M22. In this way, those regions of the European Union that have already committed all their EAFRD 2014-22 funds could also benefit from the measure.

We, the undersigned, understand that these measures are more than justified by the crisis that the drought is causing in the agricultural sector of the affected Member States and we hope that they will be taken into account as quickly as possible.

Yours sincerely,

Clara AGUILERA, S&D MEP,
Cristina MAESTRE, S&D MEP,
Dan-Stefan MOTREANU, EPP MEP,
Isabel GARCÍA, S&D MEP,
Franc BOGOVIČ, EPP MEP,
Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR, S&D MEP,
Loránt VINCZE, EPP MEP,
Eider GARDIAZÁBAL, S&D MEP,
Irene TOLLERET, RENEW MEP,
Inmaculada RODRÍGUEZ, S&D MEP,
Paolo DE CASTRO, S&D MEP,
Eugenia RODRÍGUEZ PALOP, THE LEFT MEP,
Adriana MALDONADO, S&D MEP,
Daniel BUDA, EPP MEP,
César LUENA, S&D MEP,
Marian-Jean MARINESCU, EPP MEP,
Mazaly AGUILAR, ECR MEP,
Camilla LAURETI, S&D MEP,
Jonás FERNÁNDEZ, S&D MEP,
Ioan-Rareş BOGDAN, EPP MEP,
Estrella DURÁ, S&D MEP,
Gheorghe-Vlad NISTOR, EPP MEP,
Domenec RUIZ, S&D MEP,
Traian BĂSESCU, EPP MEP,
Nacho SÁNCHEZ AMOR, S&D MEP,
Gheorghe FALCĂ, EPP MEP,
Lina GÁLVEZ, S&D MEP,
Siegfried MUREŞAN, EPP MEP,
Isabel CARVALHAIS, S&D MEP,
Marcos ROS, S&D MEP,
Vasile BLAGA, EPP MEP,
Idoia VILLANUEVA, THE LEFT MEP,
Juan Ignacio ZOIDO, EPP MEP,
Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI, EPP MEP,
Gabriel MATO, EPP MEP,
Daniela RONDINELLI, S&D MEP,
Eugen TOMAC, EPP MEP,
Maria Manuel LEITÃO-MARQUES, S&D MEP,
Dino GIARRUSSO, Non-attached MEP,
Izaskun BILBAO, RENEW MEP,
Mircea-Gheorghe HAVA, EPP MEP,
Pietro BARTOLO, S&D MEP,
Iuliu WINKLER, EPP MEP,
Alicia HOMS, S&D MEP,
Predrag Fred MATIĆ, S&D MEP
Brando BENIFEI, S&D MEP,
Ana MIRANDA, GREENS/EFA MEP,
Maria DA GRAÇA CARVALHO, EPP MEP,
Carlos ZORRINHO, S&D MEP,
Jouzas OLEKAS, S&D MEP.