Brussels alert for dry and hot summer impact on agriculture

Aafter a historic drought, the European Union (EU) is under pressure to help the agricultural sector, but – highlights the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Christophe Hansen in a letter sent to the capitals and to which Lusa had access – the reserve for crisis situations for 2026 is already empty and Brussels does not promise any further means at this stage.

“ The use of the agricultural reserve should be considered as a last resort, given the limitation of its financial resources,” writes Hansen, after this amount has been mobilised following the rise in fertilizer prices, with the recent crisis in the Middle East.

The Commissioner also recalled that “all existing tools can be used to help farmers on the ground” and was already in contact with the Agriculture Ministers of 27 to assess “what instruments are best suited to their national circumstances and to make full use of the flexibility and possibilities of support already available, in particular under the Strategic Plans of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and at national level”.

In this sense, Brussels highlights, within the framework of EU regional policy, the Solidarity Fund – which can be mobilised in the event of serious natural disasters beyond the applicable national thresholds, in order to help cover emergency and recovery operations.

The ongoing work under the Water Resilience Strategy is also supporting investments and actions in this area, including the reorientation of Cohesion Funds to water resilience, financing and advisory support through the European Investment Bank, as well as other initiatives to promote irrigation efficiency, water reuse, digital solutions and farmers’ water resilience skills.

Member States may also use State aid schemes to support agriculture.

The topic will be debated next week at the informal meeting of ministers of the 27 sector in Dublin.

The most recent scientific evaluation confirms that persistent drought significantly worsened the prospects for summer crops throughout Western and Central Europe, with impacts ranging from moderate reductions in yield to severe losses and, in the most affected areas, to probable total crop loss.

Especially corn and forage crops are under significant stress and the current colder and wetter conditions are not expected to fully offset losses. Production in other sectors (especially fruit, vegetables and potatoes) is also expected to decrease in several Member States.

The Commission also recommends that agricultural practices that strengthen soil health and water retention capacity — through reduced soil mobilization, permanent soil cover and increased soil organic matter — can make a difference in a drought situation.

For livestock, longer-term actions could include investment in plants and water systems resistant to climate change and in breeds of heat-tolerant animals.

Long-term investment in sustainable water management, including water storage infrastructure, natural water retention measures, reuse of treated water and circular approaches to water management, is crucial.

This topic was also addressed at a meeting on Monday between Hansen and representatives of the sector.