Commission must compensate Tuscan farmers for the losses suffered as a result of the frost wave

Question for written answer  E-001984/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Susanna Ceccardi (ID)

The frost recorded in Tuscany during the night from 7 to 8 April 2021, when temperatures fell to 6 degrees below zero, has had a serious impact on agriculture, particularly in sectors which are of strategic importance for Italy, such as winegrowing, olive growing, horticulture and fruit growing.

Trade associations are reporting that winegrowers risk losing more than 90% of their next grape harvest.

This damage has exacerbated the serious problems caused by the forced closure of businesses such as restaurants and wine bars in response to the health emergency, which has led to a significant drop in consumption, and the collapse of tourism, which is another very important sector for Tuscany.

The unexpected frost has devastated agricultural production in Tuscany, causing damage put at hundreds of millions of euros and jeopardising jobs and the future of farms.

In view of the above:

• 1.Does the Commission intend to intervene by allocating funds as a matter of urgency to farms affected by the bad weather?
• 2.What other structural measures will it take to support production sectors whose future is stake and thus ward off the possible serious consequences for jobs and traditional products?