G/AG/GEN/159  
 
4 June 2020  
(20-4019) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Agriculture  Original: English  
 
AD HOC REPORT ON COV ID-19 MEASURES TAKEN  BY THE EU  
(INCLUDING BY ITS ME MBER STATES) IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR   
PREPARED FOR THE SPE CIAL MEETING OF THE REGULAR COMMITTEE ON  AGRICULTURE, 
18 JUNE 2020  
SUBMISSION BY THE EUROPEAN UNION  
This ad hoc report covers measures adopted by the EU and its member States in relation to 
the Covid -19 as of 25 May 2020.  
 
The measures of EU member States include subsidies which have been approved by the European 
Commission under EU state aid rules (see the Euro pean Union Guidelines for state aid in the 
agricultural and forestry sectors and in rural areas 2014 to 20201 ) as well as those approved under 
the Temporary Framework to support the economy in the context of the coronavirus outbreak2. They 
do not include those authorised under Commission Regulation (EU) No 702/20143 and those 
considered as de minimis  aid under Commission Regulation (EU) No 1408/20134 , for which there is 
no ex ante  requirement for notification by EU member States to the European Commission . General 
schemes available to all sectors of the economy are not included in the attached list.  
 
Measures in this ad hoc report which constitute domestic support will be included in the EU  DS:1 
notification covering the relevant year. For example, expendi ture related to 2020 will be included in 
the EU DS:1 notification for the 2019/20 marketing year.  
 
For export financing measures, whilst data is not yet available on the actual use, all measures 
conform to the Nairobi Ministerial Decision. Such measures w ill be included in the EU reply to the 
export competition questionnaire for 2020, to be submitted in 2021.  
 
 
1 For the latest consolidated version, see: https://eur -lex.europa.eu/legal -
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02014XC0701(01) -20181 109. 
2 For detailed explanations on covid -19 related state aid see: 
https://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/what_is_new/covid_19.html . 
3 For the latest consolidated version, see: https://eur -lex.europa.eu/legal -
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02014R0702 -20190312 .     
4 For the latest consolidated version , see: https://eur -lex.europa.eu/legal -
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02013R1408 -20190314 .  
  G/AG/GEN/159  
 
- 2 - EU ad -hoc report on Covid -19 measures  
Name  EU/Member State  
(MS)  Legal reference  Short description  Amount  
DOMESTIC SUPPORT  EU or National 
measure      
Direct payments application date 
delayed;  increased rate of advances 
from 50 to 75% for direct payments 
and from 75% to 85% for rural 
development  EU Regulation  (EU) 2020/501, 
and 
Regulation  (EU) 2020/531  Allows member States to delay the date for farmers to 
apply for direct payments in 2020  NA 
CAP checks derogations  EU Regulation (EU) 2020/589  Derogations from some rules on checks for Direct 
Payments and Rural Development which are impractical 
due to Covid -19 NA 
Rural Development CRII+  EU Regulation (EU) 2020/558  Simplification for financial instruments, and other 
simplification in administration of rural development 
programmes  No additional funds  
Private Storage  Cheese  EU Regulation (EU) 2020/591  Allowing for private storage - 100 000 T  € 80 million  
Private Storage  butter  EU Regulation (EU) 2020/597  Allowing for private storage - 140 000 T  
Private Storage  SMP EU Regulation (EU) 2020/598  Allowing for private storage  90 000 T  
Private Storage Sheep meat  EU Regulation (EU) 2020/595  Allowing for private storage  
Private Storage  Beef meat EU Regulation (EU) 2020/596  Allowing for private storage  
Authorising agreements and 
decisions  on the planning of 
production in the milk and milk 
products sector   
Regulation (EU) 2020/599  Allowing farmers, farmers' organisation or associations, for 
a period of 6 months, to take actions on planning the 
volume of raw milk to be produced.  NA 
Flexibility in market support 
programmes  for wine and fruit and 
vegetables sectors  EU Regulation (EU)  2020/592  F&V: Increase the part Operational Programmes can use 
on crisis prevention. Wine: Open up the possibility for the 
use of crisis distillation, storage aid for wine and some 
increased flexibility concerning mutual funds, green 
harvesting, harvest i nsurance and investment aids  No additional funds  
Flexibility in market support 
programmes  for olive oil and table 
olives, national apiculture 
programmes and the school milk and 
fruit schemes  EU Regulation (EU) 2020/600  Flexibility to amend programmes in the olive sector. In 
apiculture possibility to delay certain programme activities. 
For the school schemes carryover of unused budget 
availability for school year 2019/20 to 2020/21  No additional funds  
Authorising agreements and 
decisions on market stabilisation  
in the potatoes sector  EU Regulation (EU) 2020/593  Allowing farmers, farmers' organisation or associations, for 
a period of 6 months, to take actions such as: withdrawal 
from the market for free distribution, transformation and 
processing, storage, joint promotion and temporary 
planning of production for 6 months  NA 
Authorising agreements and 
decisions on market stabilisation  
in the cut flowers and ornamental 
foliage sector  EU Regulation (EU) 2020/594  Allowing  farmers, farmers' organisation or associations, for 
a period of 6 months, to take actions such as: withdrawal  
from the market for free distribution, joint promotion and 
temporary planning of production for 6 months  NA  
  G/AG/GEN/159  
 
- 3 - Name  EU/Member State  
(MS)  Legal reference  Short description  Amount  
Rural Development - lump sum to 
farmers  EU Waiting for EP/Council 
adoption  Member States will be allowed to grant a lump sum 
payment  of up to €5.0 00 per farmer from unspent 
amounts of rural development allocations for 2014 -20  max 1% of rural 
development 
envelope of EU 
member State in   
question.  No 
additional funds  
Temporary framework for state 
aid measures to support the 
economy in the current COVID -19 
outbreak  EU (2020/C 91 I/01)  (2020/C 
112 I/01)  C (2020) 3156 
final Increase temporary state aid limit to max €100.000 per 
farmer and €800.000 for food processing and marketing 
companies  NA 
   
      
Member State measures   
      
Indemnisation des entreprises 
actives dans la production primaire 
agricoles dans le cadre de la crise 
sanitaire du Covid -19  BE 
  Payments to producers of primary products in the 
agricultural sector.  € 0.2 Mio  
Aid to undertakings in the primary 
agricultural sector   FI   Direct grants  €30 Mio  
Capped Business Loan's Portfolio 
Guarantees for New Working Capital 
Loans  EL   The agricultural part of a general scheme for all sectors of 
the economy. Remedy for a serious disturbance in the 
economy, Direct grant and Guarantee    
Support to floriculture sector  EL   Direct grants  €10.13 Mio  
Crisis Rural Guarantee Programme 
(covering the food chain)  HUN   Crisis Rural Guarantee Programme by AVHGA  HUF 100  000 Mio  
Temporary aid scheme for primary 
agricultural production, food 
processing (incl. processing and 
marketing of agricultural products), 
fisheries and aquaculture, forestry 
and game management sectors  HUN   Remedy for a serious disturbance in the economy, Crop 
and animal production, h unting and related service 
activities, Forestry and logging, Fishing and aquaculture 
and Manufacture of food products  HUF 99 Mio  
Compensation for the agricultural, 
forestry and fishery sectors in the 
Friuli Venezia Giulia region  IT   FRIULI -VENEZIA GIULIA,  Remedy serious disturbance, 
Agriculture, forestry and fishing, Direct grant  
Interest subsidy  €50 Mio + €50 Mio  
Guarantee scheme to support SMEs 
in the agriculture, forestry, fishery 
and aquaculture sectors  IT   Loans and direct grants for costs of loans under the 
Temporary Framework  €100 Mio  
Loans provided by ISMEA in favour of 
undertakings of the agricultural and 
fishery sector affected by the COVID -
19 outbreak  IT   The scheme, which will be open to SMEs active in these 
sectors aims at enabling those companies to have access 
to the financial  means they need to cover their immediate 
working capital needs, thus helping them to continue their 
activities.  €30 Mio   
  G/AG/GEN/159  
 
- 4 - Name  EU/Member State  
(MS)  Legal reference  Short description  Amount  
Emergency aid scheme for primary 
agricultural production, fishery and 
aquaculture Campania  IT   CAMPANIA, Remedy serious disturbance, Crop and animal 
production, hunting and related service activities, Direct 
grant  €12.5 Mio  
Emergency aid scheme for primary 
agricultural production, fishery and 
aquaculture Campania  IT   Remedy for a serious disturbance in the economy, Crop 
and animal production, hunting and related service 
activities  
and Fishing and aquaculture. Direct grant.  €70 Mio  
Income stabilisation in agricultural, 
fishery and food sector  LAT   The support takes the form of direct grants  €35.5 Mio  
Loan scheme to support companies 
in the agricultural sector under 
Section 3.1  LAT   Under the scheme, support will be granted in the form of 
zero-interest rate loans by the Rural Support Service,  €1.5 Mio  
Compensation for damages caused 
by COVID -19 outbreak to 
horticulture, floriculture and potato 
sectors  NL   €600 million will be allocated to aid farmers and traders in 
the floricultural sector and companies in the specialty 
horticultural sector for the food -service market.  €50 million 
will be allocated to compe nsate potato growers  €650 Mio  
Intervention measures to mitigate 
the effects of the COVID -19 epidemic 
on the economy.  SLV   The agricultural part of a general scheme for all sector of 
the economy. In total €2 billion. Several sub -measures 
including direct grants, tax advantages, guarantees and 
wage subsidies, Various sections under the Temporary 
Framework    
   
      
Market access   
    
Green lanes at borders  EU C(2020) 1897 final  Implementation of the Green Lanes under the Guidelines 
for border management measures to protect health and 
ensure the availability of goods and essential service  NA 
   
      
Export Competition   
    
Export financing schemes (general 
schemes, non -agriculture specific)  BE, DK, FR, NL  
  All agriculture -specific or agricultural part of general 
schemes are required to respect the Nairobi Ministerial 
Decision on Export Competition.    
   
      
Food Aid   
    
No reporting so far   
      
   
      
 
 
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