Export refunds paid by the European Union (EU) to bovine livestock exporters, ahead of a suspension of these subsidies last September (2012), were dwindling and dominated by four countries, the latest data from the European Commission has revealed.
Brussels paid out €5.7m on such sales in 2012, said the Commission, down from €9.6m in 2011, and around €10m in 2008 and 2009 (€8.6m was paid out in 2010).
German, Dutch and French exporters accounted for the overwhelming majority of these handouts, confirmed the figures. They fund the difference between global prices and EU prices, where EU prices are higher.
Last year (2012), German exporters collected €2.6m in refunds on live bovine exports, while Dutch traders took €1m and the French €775,000. In 2011, Dutch exporters were paid €2m and German traders €4m. Another significant beneficiary in the past has been Hungarian exporters, who were paid €1m in 2009.
The EU has been moving away from using export refunds in the meat sector, announcing in July that the last remaining such payments – for frozen whole chickens – was to be discontinued.
As regards live bovine sales, the report said: “The numbers of animals exported for which refunds were paid, decreased by 28,920 animals (30.8%) from 93,849 animals in 2011 to 64,929 animals in 2012. The decrease in exports took place in particular in the Netherlands and Germany.”