Guarantee food supply during pandemic

EPP Group Members of the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee have called for measures to guarantee food supply during the coronavirus pandemic. “Free movement within the Single Market of foodstuffs must be ensured”, said Herbert Dorfmann MEP, the EPP Group’s Spokesman on agriculture.

“This is why we ask for a full review of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on farming and food production, including on farm input supply chains”, said Dorfmann.

“Food supply in Europe is at stake. We have to pay special attention to our farmers. We have to help them, for example, with their liquidity problems. We need accurate agricultural market observation and rapid interventions, especially in high-risk sectors like restaurants. We also need to very swiftly conclude the negotiations on the multiannual EU budget to give farmers more certainty in the uncertain months to come and to ensure that there will be no cuts in the future CAP", stressed Dorfmann.

“The EPP Group welcomes the European Commission's promise to use remaining funds from the Rural Development Programmes to direct payments and to secure the mobility of seasonal workers, also to help farmers hit by the coronavirus crisis”, said Dorfmann.