EU approves EUR 15.93 milion in support for Hungarian farmers

The EC has approved 100 million euros in support for the farmers of five member states that have “stood together to protect the internal markets from the negative effects of Ukrainian grain imports”, Istvan Nagy said at a meeting of EU agriculture ministers.

Though the sum itself is a “symbolic gesture”, it is a result that should be appreciated in the future as well, Nagy said.

He said the decision on the support clearly demonstrated that it had been worth it for Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania and Slovakia to stand up for their interests. He added that it also showed that the EC acknowledged the extra burdens on the farmers in those countries which had to be mitigated.

The meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council is set to continue on Tuesday with more talks on agricultural trade with Ukraine, Nagy said. The Hungarian, Bulgarian, Polish, Romanian and Slovak ministers will meet before the session so that they can continue to implement joint action plans and protect their countries’ farmers, he added.