Talks will be held in Brussels this week as the EU Agricultural Ministers meet to discuss the ongoing drought in several member states, including Spain, Portugal, and Italy. The Spanish delegation has already requested that the European Commission front funds from the agricultural reserve allow the Spanish government to grant badly-needed aid to farmers.
For the meeting in Brussels, the Portuguese and Spanish have submitted a joint request that funds be released immediately before the normal crosschecks are made. This proposal has the support of Rome and Paris. The EC is also considering other measures to alleviate the effects of the drought, including relaxing the requirements on certain farming practices.
Source: murciatoday.com