Today member states’ representatives in the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) approved a Commission proposal to provide additional assistance and flexibility for outermost regions affected by natural disasters. This comes following the severe impact of cyclone Chido and tropical storm Dikeledi in Mayotte and the devastating consequences they have had for infrastructure and agricultural production on the island.
The swift handling of this proposal within the Council highlights its commitment to ensuring rapid liquidity to support the affected population and help restore agricultural production.
Main elements of the proposal
The updated rules will allow national authorities to make exceptional adjustments to their programme of options specifically relating to remoteness and insularity (POSEI), which provides support for the EU’s outermost regions. These changes mean farmers in disaster-stricken areas can continue to receive POSEI assistance, even if their agricultural activities are temporarily disrupted or halted. To qualify, farmers must commit to restoring their agricultural production capacity. This will help ensure the continuity of agricultural production and ease cash-flow issues during recovery.
In light of the devastating damage caused by cyclone Chido and tropical storm Dikeledi, Mayotte will also be able to benefit from additional support. The new rules lift the 10% funding cap on emergency support introduced last autumn in response to the natural disasters that occurred in 2024. Furthermore, the deadline for selecting beneficiaries will be extended beyond 30 June 2025, to enable Mayotte to fully tap into available funding within its current rural development programme so that its agricultural sector can recover.
Next steps
The chair of the SCA will now officially inform the European Parliament of the Council’s approval of the proposal and send the offer letter. The European Parliament’s Committee on agriculture and rural development has indicated it would use the urgent procedure and the Parliament’s position at first reading is expected to be adopted at their plenary in June. The regulation is then to be formally adopted by the Council and published in the Official Journal.
Background
The EU provides targeted assistance to agriculture in outermost regions, including Mayotte, due to their unique characteristics and challenges, such as their remoteness, size and increased vulnerability to climate change.
In particular, through the POSEI scheme, the EU aims to guarantee the supply of essential agricultural products, develop the livestock sector and contribute to crop diversification, whilst also strengthening the competitiveness of traditional agricultural activities.
The European agricultural fund for rural development (EAFRD) contribution to the rural development programme of Mayotte is €83.1 million for the 2014-22 programming period. Funded through the common agricultural policy, Mayotte’s rural development programme has supported improvements to road infrastructure to better connect agricultural plots, and helped modernise farms to strengthen their competitiveness against imports. It also supports the viability of small farms, which play a key role in the local food supply.
The proposal to amend the POSEI regulation was published by the Commission on 23 April 2025, following the devastating consequences of cyclone Chido and tropical storm Dikeledi in Mayotte, in order to support recovery efforts and ensure the continuity of agricultural production.
