Dacian Cioloş, the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, explained that the Commission's main priority is to end the sanitary crisis and restore consumer confidence. Therefore, the Commission will support vegetable producers as soon as possible.

With regard to the E.coli crisis, the Commissioner announced the emergency aid plan, with a budget envelope of 210 million euros, will be submitted to the approval of the EU member states experts on June 14. In this plan, there are stated the the support measures which foresee a 50% compensation for the European producers of cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, courgettes and sweet peppers, withdrawn from the market in the period from May 26 to June 30. For producers who are members of producer organisations the compensation could go up to 70%, given the mechanisms existent in the framework of operational programmes. These funds will be accessible for all producers, administered through producer organisations or national paying agencies if member states prefer.

Commissioner Cioloş also added that even it is true that the Commission is not sufficiently equipped to respond to this type of crisis, they are doing the maximum within the financial possibilities available and with the tools at their disposal, within the framework of the reform of the Common Agriculture Policy.