EU Clears France To Give Up To EUR15,000 Per Farmer In Aid

France can give up to EUR15,000 in aid to each farmer who is having difficulties as a result of the financial crisis, the European Commission said Wednesday.

In total France has budgeted EUR700 million to support its suffering farmers, the commission said.

Aid under this new scheme can be given until end of 2010, and it can be provided as direct grants, interest rate subsidies, subsidized loans or as aid toward the payment of social security contributions,
the commission said.

The aid is available to farmers in all subsectors of primary agricultural production, provided they were not already in difficulty on July 1, 2008, the commission said.

CME Group