Regulation 2025/1276 - Amendment of Regulation (EU) No 228/2013 as regards additional assistance to, and further flexibility in respect of, outermost regions affected by severe natural disasters and in the context of the devastation caused by cyclone Chido in Mayotte - Main contents

Official Journal

of the European Union

EN

L series

2025/1276

27.6.2025

On 18 December 2024, an exceptional natural disaster was declared for Mayotte following the devastating consequences of cyclone Chido, which destroyed much of the agricultural and forestry potential of the island, and threatened the availability of food and its security. That unprecedented cyclone and other recent natural disasters in the outermost regions of the Union within the meaning of Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) (the ‘outermost regions’) demonstrate the vulnerability of those regions to the effects of climate change, which include an increased risk of exceptional natural disasters and severe meteorological events with long-term consequences.

In order to address and mitigate the impact of exceptional natural disasters or severe meteorological events in the outermost regions, in particular as regards the support for local production provided through the Programme of Options Specifically Relating to Remoteness and Insularity (‘the POSEI programme’) referred to in Regulation (EU) No 228/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3), it should be possible for affected beneficiaries to continue to receive POSEI programme payments throughout the restoration period, irrespective of the level of their activity, subject to a formal commitment to restore their capacity. Competent national authorities should therefore be able to decide, on the basis of relevant evidence, on the application of the principle of force majeure or exceptional circumstances. It should also be possible, in exceptional and duly justified circumstances, for Member States to submit proposals to amend the POSEI programme, in order to extend the restoration period for certain sectors beyond the period that would be justified by the application of the principle of force majeure or exceptional circumstances. The implementation of such amendments should be subject to an annual review and the monitoring of progress. Therefore, Articles 6 and 19 of Regulation (EU) No 228/2013 should be amended accordingly.

In addition, in order to quickly address the vulnerabilities of Mayotte’s food system, and the other challenges for its rural communities, resulting from the unprecedented natural disaster caused by cyclone Chido, it is appropriate to provide, rapidly and on an exceptional basis, effective support through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), and to provide for additional flexibility in the application of the existing rules. Article 6a of Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4) introduced a new measure providing exceptional temporary support in response to the impact of natural disasters to be funded under the EAFRD within the legal framework applicable in the programming period 2014-2020, as extended by that Regulation. In order to enable Mayotte to respond to the consequences of cyclone Chido, taking into account the...