EU member states on Monday approved a EUR 100 million support package for farmers in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, who suffered from the influx of Ukrainian grain, according to the website of the European Commission (EC).

According to the report, a support package of EUR 100 million for farmers in frontline countries provides for the allocation of EUR 9.77 million to Bulgaria, EUR 15.93 million to Hungary, EUR 39.33 million to Poland, EUR 29.73 million to Romania and EUR 5.24 million to Slovakia.

"Farmers from these five Member States are facing issues related to logistical bottlenecks following large imports of certain agri-food products from Ukraine... A Joint Coordination Platform is also working on improving the flow of trade between the European Union and Ukraine via the Solidarity Lanes," the European Commission said.

European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski tweeted to welcome today's "overwhelming positive opinion" on the second package of measures to support farmers in these countries, stressing that the approved EUR 100 million is allowed to be combined with public funding up to 200%.

He also said that he expects the European Commission to agree on a third aid package to support farmers in 22 countries affected by adverse climatic events.

A number of measures, including the possibility of higher advance payments, should support farmers affected by adverse climatic events, the Agriculture Committee also said.

As part of the third package, the Commission for Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Commission (EC) proposed to mobilize additional European Union funding in the amount of EUR 330 million and send it to farmers from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland and Sweden, which also, as noted, suffered from various market and trade problems in addition to adverse climatic events.

As reported on the EC website, according to the presentation of the relevant committee, these countries will receive exceptional support in the amount of EUR 330 million from the budget of the EU Common Agricultural Policy.

The European Commission has also allowed these to supplement EU support up to 200% of its national funds. It is expected that this measure will be agreed by the EU Member States at the next meeting of the committee on the common organization of agricultural markets, and payments for both support packages will be made by December 31, 2023.