The European Commission has pledged an additional €100 million in financial support to five EU 'frontline' countries in response to the import ban on

agricultural goods from Ukraine by Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia. The move aims to ease the pressure on farmers in these countries who have been affected by the increase in imports from Ukraine due to the success of the EU's solidarity lanes initiative and the temporary trade liberalisation scheme.

The funding will be drawn from the Common Agricultural Policy's agricultural reserve fund, which has a financial envelope of €450 million per year. This is the second support package to be offered by the EU, and it will include a 200% co-financing rate for affected farmers. The decision on how much money to spend was made based on both evidence-based criteria and political considerations.

The use of the agricultural reserve is subject to the decision of the European Commission through implementing acts, which require consultation with member states. Photo by 3268zauber, Wikimedia commons.