EC Grants EUR 2.5 M to Bulgaria in Compensation for E.Coli Crisis

A file picture dated June 6, 2011 shows different types of sprouts in boxes at a supermarket in Hamburg, Germany. Photo by EPA/BGNES

The European Commission's Common Market Organization for agricultural products approved Thursday over EUR 2.5 M as compensations to Bulgarian vegetable growers over the e.coli outbreak and crisis.

The news was announced Thursday by the Bulgarian Agriculture Ministry, informing the total budget for compensations for all Member States has been increased from EUR 210 M to EUR 227 M.

The amount approved for Bulgaria corresponds to the one requested by the country, based on the applications submitted by vegetable growers by July 11, 2011.

This will allow Bulgaria to pay full compensations to those affected by the crisis.

Over 160 Bulgarian producers are eligible for compensation.

EU's e. coli compensation package aims at helping vegetable growers who have suffered major financial losses due to the dangerous outbreak that killed over 50 and sickened more than 4 000 in Europe and the US.

The European Union banned the import of Egyptian fenugreek and removed all imported quantities from its market due to the outbreak, since it is deemed highly probable to have originated from the product.

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