Member States have endorsed a proposal from the European Commission to mobilise more than €56 million from the EU agricultural reserve to support farmers in Portugal,
Romania, Cyprus, Croatia and Slovenia affected by severe climate-related events.
The funding will be distributed as follows: €30 million to Portugal, €14.8 million to Romania, €4.6 million to Cyprus, €4.4 million to Croatia, and €2.8 million to Slovenia.
The assistance is designed to help farmers recover from significant production losses and damage caused by extreme weather events and natural disasters that occurred throughout 2025 and into the first half of 2026. The support targets producers of fruit, nuts, vines, olives, arable crops, and mixed livestock systems.
In Portugal, Storm Kristin in early 2026 brought heavy rainfall, strong winds and flooding, resulting in extensive damage to farmland and agricultural infrastructure, with substantial losses in production.
Romania experienced severe drought and repeated heatwaves between June and August 2025, which significantly reduced maize and sunflower yields. In Cyprus, prolonged drought and extreme heat from May 2025 increased production losses and raised livestock feed costs. Croatia faced a combination of spring frosts, excessive rainfall and drought during 2025, affecting crops such as fruit, vines and sugar beet. Slovenia recorded spring frost events that severely impacted apple production.
Eligible sectors vary by Member State, including:
Portugal: arable crops, olive oil and table olives, fruit and vegetables, wine, and livestock
Croatia: plums, hazelnuts, vineyards, alfalfa, and sugar beet
Cyprus: citrus fruits, bananas, figs, pomegranates, prickly pears, vineyards, olive oil, cereals, fodder crops, apiculture, and livestock (bovines, sheep and goats)
Romania: maize and sunflower
Slovenia: apples
National authorities are responsible for ensuring rapid distribution of the aid, which must be fully disbursed by 28 February 2027 at the latest. The EU funding may be supplemented by national contributions of up to 200% of the allocated amounts.
Following approval by Member States, the European Commission will formally adopt the measure. It will then be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and enter into force the day after publication.
Member States must notify the Commission without delay on implementation details, including eligibility criteria, payment schedules, expected impact, and measures to avoid market distortion or overcompensation.
The measure is part of the EU’s agricultural safety net under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which includes an annual agricultural reserve of at least €450 million to respond to market disruptions and exceptional events affecting agricultural production and supply chains. Photo by Doremo, Wikimedia commons.