Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-04-14-Speech-4-142"
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"en.20050414.23.4-142"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, Portugal is enduring an appalling drought, with crops being lost, animals dying without food or water, environmental deterioration in the areas affected, increased risk of more forest fires in the summer and populations already relying on water supplies coming in from outside.
Mr Queiró mentioned earlier that 80% of the country is suffering from the drought. The agriculture sector has already incurred losses exceeding EUR 1 billion and that figure is set to rise. The hottest months are approaching, the temperature will rise significantly and no rainfall is expected been May and October.
At this time when we are looking to foster European solidarity with those worst affected, there is support that the EU must provide, much of which has nothing to do with money or subsidies, as Mr Capoulas Santos mentioned, but good will and an understanding of the difficulties on the ground.
Firstly, state aid; the Commission should authorise the Portuguese Government to grant state aid to support farmers who have lost their livelihoods, supporting the acquisition of animal feed and investment in water collection and distribution, and facilitating the restructuring of farmers’ bank debts; secondly, to make advance payment of premiums to which farmers are entitled – in full, not just in part, Commissioner; thirdly, to facilitate the transfer of cereal from Community intervention stocks arising from the surpluses in some Member States; fourthly, to grant derogations from various Community regulations, to which you referred, Commissioner, thereby authorising grazing in set-aside zones or on land planted with cereals already affected by the drought; fifthly, to release funds and mobilise resources to prevent a high number of forest fires this summer following the drought; sixthly, to look into the possibility of drawing on the European Solidarity Fund on such occasions; and seventhly, to reaffirm European positions on climate change and the Kyoto Protocol.
Mr President, Commissioner, the EU works best when it is closest to the citizens. The Portuguese citizens worst affected by the drought must also be made to feel that they are European citizens."@en1
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