Catastrophic wildfires in Euboea

25.9.2019

Question for written answer E-002945-19
to the Commission
Rule 138
Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos (NI)

On 13 August wildfires in Euboea caused massive damage to forests, crops, livestock and infrastructure. Hundreds of beehives, olive trees, shelters and animal feed warehouses were burned to a cinder, and resin growers have been reduced to despair as a large part of the pine forest was destroyed. The natural environment has also been utterly devastated by the wildfires that every year ravage hundreds of hectares of land (2 500 hectares this year alone).

How does the Commission view the demands by farmers and stockbreeders — who complain about the paltry sums provided through the Greek Agricultural Insurance Organisation (ELGA) and the tight restrictions set by that organisation — for the government to ensure that they immediately receive full compensation?

Could the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) funds which have been included in a national Rural Development Programme and are intended to be spent on ‘risk management tools’, such as ‘financial contribution to mutual funds and farmers’ premiums’ — all of which is money belonging to the people — be used to compensate at a rate of 100% those affected for all the damage caused?

Do any plans exist for crucial fire, flood and erosion-prevention schemes in the Euboea region which could be financed under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund, thereby circumventing EU restrictions in this regard? If so, what are these schemes and what timetable is envisaged?