The Parlamento Vasco on Thursday, 8 October 2026, called on the Basque Government (Gobierno Vasco) to draw up a plan with associations and institutions to help agriculture and livestock farming adapt to climate change. The resolution adopted by the groups EAJ-PNV and PSE-EE also provides for bringing forward the advance payment of direct payments under the Common Agricultural Policy (PAC) to 16 October . EH Bildu abstained, while expressing criticism. The vote took place in the plenary session in Vitoria-Gasteiz .
The initiative was prompted by the drought in summer 2026 and its effects on businesses. In early October, the Gobierno Vasco announced extraordinary aid of 5.9 million euros for agriculture, livestock farming and small-scale fishing businesses. According to the government, the funds are intended to offset the impact of low rainfall, high energy prices and a poor fishing season. Some measures, such as specific support for the smallest fleet, are still being developed.
Farmers and livestock farmers protested outside the government building in Vitoria-Gasteiz on the day of the parliamentary debate. Industry associations describe the funds approved so far as inadequate and are calling for more targeted, readily available measures to cover rising costs, such as purchased feed, and to safeguard liquidity. The government points to ongoing working groups with public authorities, forestry and research organisations, tasked with speeding up administrative procedures and considering short-term relief.
The parliamentary resolution increases political pressure to address the agricultural sector’s structural vulnerability to extreme weather systematically. The mandate adopted remains open-ended: specific measures, timetables and budgets for the adaptation plan still need to be worked out. Bringing forward PAC advance payments will also require technical clarification and coordination with Madrid.
Attributed positions should be distinguished: the government says it activated aid “immediately”; industry associations call the response “inadequate”. Regardless of this dispute, the short-term impact of the 5.9 million euros is limited and depends on rapid implementation by the administration. In the medium to long term, the key question will be whether the adaptation plan under development links irrigation, feed supplies, insurance, breeding and crop choices, advice and research in a way that enables farms in Euskadi to cope economically with recurring dry spells.
Editor: Daniel Mayer (Article created with AI assistance).