A coalition of 9 European -based organizations, have joined forces to urge the European Commission to activate as soon as possible extraordinary support measures to help the floriculture sector in the EU survive the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.
On 10 April the coalition adressed a letter to the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Janusz Wojciechowski. The organisations call for urgent and temporary extraordinary EU tailor-made support measures to help producers and all operators from the sector across the EU survive the crisis until activity can re-start.
The coalition also calls for a strong and concrete signal from the European Commission that flower and live plants do matter and are a major contributor to the well-being and quality of life of European citizens and to the climate change mitigation efforts and biodiversity protection.
Furthermore, the 9 organisations plead for a clear recognition at EU level that investing now in this sector to help it stay afloat will avoid further long-lasting and irremediable effects on the economic and employment activity remarkably created and sustained by the wide range of operators in this sector for decades without any intervention or support from the EU.
Dramatic collapse
“Extraordinary circumstances do require extraordinary measures. This sector is a remarkably healthy and high- performing economic sector that brings joy, colour, hope, nature and well-being to all citizens across the EU and beyond. Failing to support it now as it faces a dramatic collapse across the EU would be a major and irremediable failure from the EU. We call on the European Commission to do its utmost to act swiftly and pragmatically and help this sector survive until the adequate conditions are there again for it to re-start its essential activities“, urged the signatories to this letter.
Preliminary estimations suggest that the overall demand for flower and live plants has decreased by 80% across the EU with the introduction of lockdown measures and the immediate closure of non-essential specialised retail shops in most European countries.
These circumstances and the massive domino effect that has ensued have placed all businesses, segments and sub-sectors of the flower & live plants sector in an extremely vulnerable position as it was just entering its peak season during which 50 to 80% of its yearly turnover is realised. Thousands of companies across the EU sustain a total estimated market value of 48 billion EUR and employ 760.000 people.
The signatories to the letter are: Union Fleurs, ENA, ARELFH, VBN, VAL’HOR, Anthos, CIOPORA, Fleuroselect and ELCA.
