Call on EU for urgent financial support

European flags in front of the European Commission building in Brussels, Belgium.

BRUSSELS, Belgium: A group of nine European trade organisations,  representing the interests of the ornamental horticultural industry in all its facets, has released a call for action by EU and member state decision makers to safeguard the future of their sector.

The group acts as a strong industry voice for the thousands of companies across the EU sustaining a total estimated market value of 48 billion EUR and employing 760.000 people.  Preliminary estimations suggest that the overall demand for flower & 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 unfortunate 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.

In a joint letter addressed on 10 April to the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Janusz Wojciechowski, the signatory organisations call for:

• Urgent and temporary extraordinary EU tailor-made support measures to help producers and all operators from the sector across the EU simply survive the crisis until activity can re-start;
• A strong and concrete signal from the European Commission that flower & 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;
• And 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.

“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 in a united voice.

The signatories to the letter are: UNION FLEURS (International Flower Trade Association), ENA (European Nurserystock Association), ARELFH (Assembly of European Horticultural Regions), VBN (Association of Dutch Flower auctions), VAL’HOR – French inter-branch organisation for ornamental horticulture (growers, nurseries, seeds companies, garden centres, wholesalers, florists, agro-shops, landscape contractors and landscape architects), ANTHOS (Royal Trade Association for Flower Bulbs), CIOPORA (International Association of Breeders of Asexually Reproduced Horticultural Varieties), FLEUROSELECT (International Association of breeders, producers and distributors of propagation material of ornamental plants) and ELCA (European Landscape Contractors Association)