The European Commissioner for Agriculture, Dacian Ciolos, today proposed increasing financial aid to European fruit and vegetable farmers affected by the E.coli fiasco to €210 million, the initial offer having been €150 million.
Ciolos stated that this amount would cover up to 50% of the losses suffered by the horticulture industry as a result of the fall in demand due to the E.coli outbreak in Germany. Spain and eight other countries have demanded financial aid and had rejected the initial offer of €150 million as totally inadequate.
The aid will be financed from European funds in the context of a crisis mechanism under the Common Agricultural Policy.