Spain seeks Brussels' aid to combat drought
Funds from Common Agricultural Policy could be advanced to compensate for extremely dry winter
The Spanish government has asked the European Commission (EC) for 7.5 billion euros in aid to combat the drought that is gripping the country.
Agriculture Minister Miguel Arias Cañete and his Portuguese counterpart are in Brussels presenting a united front in an effort to coax the EC into advancing the funds set aside for 2012 under the Common Agricultural Policy in the face of a lack of rain that is threatening crops the nation over.
Between October and March rainfall barely registered half the average amount for the period. The problem "without being dramatic, is certainly worrying," the Agriculture Ministry said in a document to the EC.
