Moves are being made to begin mobilising crisis funds for European farmers struggling with high input costs or coping with climate challenges, the EU’s Farm Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski indicated on Tuesday.

Commissioner Wojciechowski said that €330m in CAP emergency funds remain for the 22 member states that have not yet received aid, Ireland included. Ireland got around €15.8m under the reserve last year, but this could fall as some funds are already pledged to other member states.

Some central and eastern European countries are already in line for funds compensating them for the disruption caused by a flood of Ukrainian grain hitting their markets since last summer, while a smaller package went to some countries hit with avian influenza.

It has been proposed to distribute the funds based on the direct payment share of each of the 22 remaining countries.

“The consequences of the Russian aggression against Ukraine is, as I said before, increasing the costs of production,” Commissioner Wojciechowski said.

However, some confusion remains over the €330m stated by the Commissioner, as it appears that the €450m/year farming crisis reserve would need to be allocated additional funds to reach this figure.

No date has been set for when these funds could land and their mobilisation depends on further EU agreement.