EU Announces Aid to Counter Russia-Imposed Ban on Imports

TEMPO.CO, Brussles - The European Commission today announced a series of exceptional measures to help farmers affected the Russian-imposed ban on fruit and vegetable imports. The 125 million Poundsterling worth of measures are used to purchase fruits and vegetables at full price from farmers as a compensation for their failed harvest.

"All farmers of the concerned products - whether in producer organizations or not - will be eligible to take up these market support measures where they see fit," Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos said. The funds are available since the announcement was made until the end of November 2014.

Russia has embargoed imports of meat, poultry, dairy, fruits and vegetable products from the United States, European Union, Norway, Canada and Australia as in retaliation over the sanctions of Moscow's alleged role in separatist violence in eastern Ukraine.

The European Commission is also considering the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which includes a 420 million Poundsterling compensation budget in case the markets go bad.

Although Russia started the embargo on August 7, 2014, exports from the Euro zone to Russia had dropped by 14 percent from January to May. The embargo also decreased the country's export value by 300 million Poundsterling and affected 5,000 employment opportunities.

RTE | REUTERS | VICE