Securing agricultural product supply chains during COVID-19

Summary:

​The COVID-19 pandemic impacted agricultural product supply chains from farm to fork. In this audit we assessed whether the EU response was appropriate. We found that the Commission reacted rapidly by issuing useful guidelines, direct support, and market measures such as crisis distillation. However, member states did not sufficiently target the use of direct support, and the crisis distillation rules were not clear. State aid payments were more significant in monetary terms, but we found that they could lead to distortion of competition and overcompensation. We recommend that the Commission share good practice to improve the targeting of CAP measures, and that it propose clear rules in the event of future crises.

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Official

European Commission: Replies of the European Commission to the ECA Special Report, April 2023: Securing agricultural product supply chains during COVID-19 EU response was rapid, but insufficiently targeted by member states https://www.eca.europa.eu/Lists/ECAReplies/COM-Replies-SR-2023-09/COM-Replies-SR-2023-09_EN.pdf

European Court of Auditors: Review, 17/4/2023: Transport of live animals in the EU: challenges and opportunities https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/publications/RV-2023-03

European Court of Auditors: ECA Journal, 31/3/2023: Is the EU’s energy transition getting into gear? https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/publications/JOURNAL23_01

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