Last week, a vote was held in Brussels on the use of funds from the agricultural crisis reserve. Estonia and some other countries wanted the money to be distributed differently. But their plan did not pass.
The Middle East crisis has increased the prices of fertilizers and other goods. This has put farmers in a difficult situation. The European Commission wants to pay them crisis support. But Estonia did not support this plan because our subsidies are smaller than in other countries.
Madis Pärtel told ERR that the crisis has primarily affected crop growers. The prices of fertilizers, fuel, and plant protection products have risen. This affects the entire food production.
Estonia remained neutral in the vote because, in our opinion, the method of distributing the money was not fair. Our subsidies are lower, and we depend more on imports. Therefore, we would need more money.
In the end, the plan was still adopted. Estonia will receive 3.1 million euros. The country can add another 200% to this amount. The money must be paid out by February 2027.
Now the government must decide whether to add money itself. However, the state budget is tight, so this is not easy. Farmers can apply for support only at the end of the year. The process of receiving support is being made as simple as possible.
The European Commission also offers other support measures, but these mostly require the countries' own funds. Therefore, they have not been used much.