The measures were first introduced by the Commission in the wake of the Russian import ban in August 2014. The extended scheme is worth up to €70 million to EU fruit producers, and provides a safety net for producers who might not find a market outlet for their products as a result of the import ban. It will compensate European fruit farmers who choose for example to distribute their excess products to organisations (i.e. charity, schools) or make use of it for other purposes (i.e. animal feed, composting, processing).

Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan, said: "the Commission has done everything in its power to support European producers negatively affected by the Russian ban. This latest extension sends yet another clear signal that we will remain firmly and fearlessly on the side of our farmers. These support measures go hand in hand with our ongoing work to modernise and simplify the CAP for the benefit of both our farmers and our wider European society".

The extended scheme comes in addition to a number of other exceptional support measures for the agricultural market related to the Russian ban. Regular market monitoring and assessment by the Commission shows that these measures have improved the market situation for non-permanent crops (typically vegetables). Most of the production affected by the Russian import ban has been redirected to alternative markets and market prices have stabilised. However, since so-called permanent crops (fruit trees) are less able to adapt to changing situations, the new measures are specifically designed to help this sector.

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Full press release including annex indicating the maximum quantities of products allocated per Member State are available via the link below.

Via europa.eu