The framework of state aid to businesses affected by natural disasters has recently been expanded to include agricultural holdings, in order to respond to the great needs that have been created in the primary sector after natural disasters and to cover fields that were previously covered by the framework of the State Financial Aids (KOE, formerly PSEA) of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, such as damage to plant means of production.

The implementation of this framework continues with the special scheme to cover losses in plant capital for agricultural holdings that have been significantly affected by the fires of the summer of 2023 and the floods of September 2023 in Thessaly and other areas. This is a scheme that covers damage to plant capital, which until now was either covered or not by the framework of State Financial Aid (KOE, formerly PSEA) and is implemented by the Directorate of State Aid of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection in close cooperation with ELGA and the Ministry of Rural Development and Food.

In particular, within the framework of the Governmental Committee for State Aid, it was decided, for the above natural disasters, that the grant for the losses in plant means of production (tree crops, vines) should be set at a maximum per acre and type of planting, for those per occupation farmers, as follows: (a) 2,450 euros per hectare for tree crops in free planting, (b) 3,500 euros per hectare for tree crops in palmetto, (c) 2,450 euros per hectare for vines, and (d) 577.5 euros per hectare of aromatic plants.

The final grant is preceded, after a relative delimitation of the beneficiaries’ perimeter by ELGA, at 50% of the maximum grant, per acre and type of planting, i.e. – for professional farmers – as follows: (a) 1,225 euros per acre for tree crops in free planting, (b) 1,750 euros per hectare for tree crops in palmetto, (c) 1,225 euros per hectare for vines, and (d) 288.75 euros per hectare for aromatic plants.

The scheme in question also concerns the cases of non-farmers as their main occupation, where they receive half of the grant and therefore also the advance payment, which concerns the cases of farmers as their main occupation.

It is noted that this grant concerns exclusively the coverage of the loss of the plant means of production, taking into account the needs for its restoration.

The assessment and recording of damage to the plant means of production of agricultural holdings, as well as the collection of the required data, is carried out by ELGA, with which, as with the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, there is close cooperation with the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Policy Protection for the issuance of the relevant decisions so that the advance payment process can proceed immediately.

The General Secretariat for the Rehabilitation of Natural Disasters and State Aid undertakes all the interventions that are necessary and continues at an intense pace the cooperation with ELGA and also the Regions, so that the procedures for the support of the affected agricultural holdings from the extremes can be completed in a timely and efficient manner floods of September 2023 and the granting of all the foreseen aid in the context of the state aid of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.