The PP asks to raise the aid for diesel and fertilizers in light of the increase in costs for agriculture and fishing.

The Popular Party has demanded this Monday from the Government a new emergency aid plan for farmers, ranchers, and fishermen in light of the increase in the price of diesel and fertilizers. The party proposes to raise the current compensations and take advantage of the margin allowed by the European Union to face costs that, it warns, threaten the planting campaign and the activity of part of the fishing fleet.

The Deputy Secretary of Economy and Sustainable Development of the PP, Alberto Nadal, and the coordinator of Agriculture and Rural Policy, Carmen Crespo, have conveyed the proposal after meeting with the leaders of Asaja, COAG, UPA, and Agro-food Cooperatives of Spain, organizations that have called for mobilizations from the sector.

The request comes, moreover, as the end of some of the measures approved by the Government to respond to the economic consequences of the crisis in the Middle East approaches. The extraordinary aids currently in force for agricultural and fishing diesel have been extended until September 30.

The PP asks to take advantage of the 70% margin

One of the main proposals of the PP is to review upwards the aids for diesel. Nadal argues that it was "a mistake" to propose its gradual withdrawal and now demands to use all the available margin within the European framework to compensate for the increase in fuel and fertilizer prices.

Brussels allows member states to cover up to 70% of the extraordinary costs resulting from the evolution of markets directly affected by the crisis in the Middle East, as long as the conditions established in its aid framework are met. This regime can be applied to the extra costs of fuel and fertilizers and includes an eligible period that can extend until December 31, 2026.

The Government already uses that limit as a reference in part of its shield for the sector. The royal decree-law approved at the end of June establishes for agricultural diesel a compensation of up to 70% of the difference between the average weekly price and the one existing before the start of the conflict, with a maximum of 20 cents per liter. In the case of fishing, the scheme also contemplates 70% of the difference and a maximum of 20 cents per liter.

The Ministry of Agriculture estimated the expansion of aid at 230 million euros approved in June for fertilizers and agricultural and fishing diesel. Of these, 165 million increased the allocation for fertilizers, 55 million corresponded to the extension of aid for agricultural diesel, and another 10 million to the fishing fleet.

Aid without the farmer advancing the money

The PP also demands to modify the aid mechanism so that farmers do not have to advance the money beforehand. The party thus incorporates one of the requests made by agricultural organizations, which demand greater speed in granting compensations and that these reach directly those who bear the expenses.

The party places the urgency of these measures in the agricultural calendar. The request coincides with the cereal sowing campaign and the grape harvest, the collection of fruits and vegetables, and the weeks prior to the start of the olive harvest.

Fertilizers, drought, and phytosanitary products

The package of proposals put forward by the PP is not limited to diesel. Nadal and Crespo support that Spain defends at the European level a flexibilization of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) with the aim of reducing the impact on the price of fertilizers. This is a political demand of the party, not a currently approved modification of the mechanism.

The party also demands from the Executive the urgent convening of the National Drought Table to analyze the effects of the lack of precipitation on the farms. Crespo had already made this request to the Ministry of Agriculture on September 18.

Finally, the PP supports the request of agricultural organizations to grant temporary authorizations for phytosanitary products, as long as food safety is maintained, arguing that it would allow Spanish producers to compete under similar conditions to those existing in other European countries.

The proposal comes nine days before the current extraordinary scheme for agricultural and fishing diesel expires, so the debate now focuses on whether the Government will extend or modify the aid beyond September 30 and to what extent it will use the margin that the European framework keeps open.