Verification of the implementation status of European programs, spending trends and prospects for the regional agricultural sector. These were the themes at the center of the joint meeting of the Calabria RDP Monitoring Committee 2014-2022 and the Calabria CSR Monitoring Committee 2023-2027, held today in Aiello Calabro in the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the European Commission. The annual meeting allowed us to take stock of the results achieved by the 2014-2022 programming and the progress of the new 2023-2027 programming. For the latter, as of 30 September, the implementation percentage of the CSR Calabria reached 40%, a figure higher than the national average. The level of implementation of surface interventions is also particularly advanced, standing at around 70%.
Gallo’s reflections
“The data confirm Calabria’s ability to plan, commit and effectively spend the European resources allocated to agriculture. We have achieved the objectives of the previous programming, using up to the last cent of the available resources, and we are among the fastest regions also in the new programming. It is the result of work that has focused on the simplification of procedures, on the acceleration of times and on the ability to give concrete answers to the needs of the agricultural partnership, from young people to the Municipalities, up to the companies interested in interventions for the olive sector”, declared the regional councilor for Agriculture, Gianluca Gallo. “These results, however, do not make us lose sight of the difficulties that many farmers are going through, some of whom today took to the streets to express their discomfort – said councilor Gallo, referring to the increase in fuel costs, the crisis in the olive sector, together with the increasingly evident effects of climate change – prolonged droughts and intense rainfall – which are putting companies to the test, creating “a real perfect storm”.
Countermeasures to price increases
“The Region reacted by immediately putting in place five million euros to support farmers in difficulty – explained councilor Gallo – and today President Roberto Occhiuto, demonstrating great sensitivity, has expanded the allocation by a further five million, bringing the fund for reimbursements of the difference in diesel prices to 10 million. Together with Basilicata and Puglia we have also asked to be able to use specific CSR resources to respond to the emergency. We await the assessments of Minister Lollobrigida and the European Commission, with the hope of identifying concrete solutions quickly”. So far the current difficulties, but the picture that emerges from the numbers also supported by the words of the European commissioners is that of a sector that has made significant progress, also thanks to European support, and today represents one of the engines of regional growth. It is Andrea Tivoli, of DG AGRI, who reiterates that Calabria is among the first regions in Italy for the implementation of the new community programming. “The challenge is to consolidate this progress and, at the same time, protect companies that are facing a particularly difficult phase. We will continue to work with the Government and the European institutions – concluded Councilor Gallo – so that the available resources can translate into effective responses for the territory”.