Agriculture and rural life

200 Million euros are allocated through the Estonian Rural Development Foundation to mitigate the economic impact on farmers:

• loan guarantees to the agricultural and food sector and for loans already granted to farmers (a total budget of 50 million euros).
• revolving business loan to companies operating in rural areas to overcome liquidity problems caused by the outbreak of coronavirus (total budget of 100 million euros).
• land capital support for owners of agricultural land for sale-and-leaseback transactions to overcome liquidity problems caused by the outbreak of the coronavirus (a total budget of 50 million euros).

The support measures will be likely to become available from early May. More information about the Estonian Rural Development Foundation can be found on their homepage.

The budget for support measures for the farmer's replacement service to cover a period of absence, is increased by 0.5 Million euros to ensure that producers will be replaced if the virus spreads. In addition to livestock farmers, also the crop sector is added. This measure is under development.

Last updated: 24.05.2020 16:40

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Common Agricultural Policy

A derogation has been granted, according to which advance payments for direct payments under the Common Agricultural Policy may be made to beneficiaries for up to 70% (the rule is up to 50%) in 2020 and advance payments for area and animal-based rural development support for up to 85% (the rule is up to 75%).

A derogation has also been granted for 2020, according to which advance payments of direct payments can be made after completion of the required administrative checks, but before completion of the on-the-spot checks Under the rules, the advance payments of direct payments can only be made after the administrative and on-the-spot checks have been completed. Advance payments for area and animal-based rural development support can be made after administrative checks have been completed, but before the on-the-spot checks have been completed, in accordance with the rules already in force.

The control provisions of the common agricultural policy support have been relaxed for 2020. For example, it is possible to replace the physical checks required for area-based payments, in particular on-the-spot checks, with a review of orthophotos or other relevant evidence; to make the required on-the-spot checks for animal-based payments at any time; to reduce the sampe size of annual on-the-spot checks for area-based payments (from at least 5% to 3%); replace the required control visits and on-the-spot checks for other rural development support (not area or animal-based) with appropriate evidence provided by the beneficiaries themselves (e.g. geo-tagged photos) and to reduce the control samples for annual on-the-spot checks and follow-up checks for non-area and animal-based rural development support (from at least 5% to at least 3% and from at least 1% to at least 0.6%, respectively).

Common Fisheries Policy

The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) can as of February 1 until the end of a year, as a temporary measure, provided the eligibility criteria have been met, compensate for losses caused by a reduction in sales revenues to aquaculture establishments and small-and medium sized enterprises engaged in fish processing, and for losses caused by a loss of income for professional fishing companies that have been engaged in fishing for at least 120 days in 2018 and 2019, in the event of temporary suspension of fishing activities.

In addition, it will be possible to compensate for producer organisations for the costs associated with the storage of fish in 2020 if the produce cannot be sold. Amendments to the EMFF Regulation also allow Member States to implement the EMFF budget in a more flexible manner.

Last updated: 01.05.2020 14:41

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If you get employment compensation from the Estonian Unemployment Fund because of reduced employment or reduced income, you can work at the same time for another employer, such as an agricultural business.

If you have lost your work and you have been registered as unemployed , and you receive unemployment insurance benefit or an unemployment benefit, then based on the rules currently in force, you cannot work at the same time.

Additional information, please contact tth@tuotukassa.ee or 15501.

Last updated: 30.04.2020 15:58

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