Lisbon, June 19, 2026 (Lusa) - Portugal's agriculture minister, José Manuel Fernandes, announced on Friday in parliament that the €30 million in aid for Portuguese farmers affected by the storms will be put to a vote next week.
“Next Monday, the €30 million in aid for farmers affected by the storms will be put to a vote [in the Management Committee for the Common Organisation of Agricultural Markets – Horizontal Issues],” José Manuel Fernandes said in response to MPs during a sectoral debate in parliament.
The former MEP noted that the total support for the sector already exceeds €600 million.
The Management Committee for the Common Organisation of Agricultural Markets is a European Union body that assists the European Commission.
Farmers affected by the storms that hit the country at the start of the year will have access to €30 million in support, following a request to Brussels to activate the agricultural reserve, José Manuel Fernandes told Lusa last Friday.
According to the minister, the European Commission recognised the “the fairness and justification” of Portugal's request and granted the maximum possible support.
The amount in question comes from the agricultural reserve, a financial instrument under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) designed to respond to market disruptions, price fluctuations, and crises affecting both food production and distribution.
This instrument has an annual allocation of €450 million, which the 27 member states can access.
Brussels has already drawn up the draft implementing regulation, which provides for an extraordinary support package intended not only for Portugal but also for Croatia, Cyprus, Romania and Slovenia.
The draft stipulates that Portugal will receive the largest share of this European package, namely €30 million.
This is followed by Romania (€14.8 million), Cyprus (€4.6 million), Croatia (€4.6 million) and Slovenia (€2.8 million).
The government has the flexibility to define the priority sectors.
Portugal was hit by a series of storms between late January and mid-February, which mainly affected the country’s Central region.
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