EC is looking for ways to further support the people of Madeira
EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dacian Cioloş expressed his support for the people on the Portuguese island of Madeira heavily affected by floods and mudslides after the torrential rains last month.
Meeting the Portuguese Minister for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, António Serrano, on the 19th of March, Mr. Cioloş stated that the European Commission is waiting for a proposal from the Portuguese authorities to modify the Rural Development Programme for Madeira, in order to provide more help for the island.
In the meantime, Madeira could get more support through POSEI - a European Agricultural programme designed for EU's outermost regions - if Portugal modifies its programme for 2010.
Commissioner Cioloş has accepted the Portuguese request on the non-application of the voluntary modulation. Nevertheless, Commissioner Cioloş reiterated the commitment of Portugal in Natura 2000.
The EU Commissioner and the Portuguese Minister agreed on the importance of developing alternate activities for the milk production in the Azores in order to ensure a certain diversification, especially on the production of the beetroot. The Commissioner made clear that there would be no postponement to the end of dairy quotas in 2015.
The Portuguese Minister invited the Commissioner to visit the National Fair on Agriculture in Portugal next June and to pay a visit to the dam at Alqueva.
Portuguese Minister Serrano and Commissioner Cioloş agreed to exchange their views in the coming months on the debate of the Common Agricultural Policy after 2013. This debate is a crucial one for the EU and the European agriculture.
