Brussels, 20/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - European Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos announced on Tuesday 20 March that he will bring forward proposals by May to improve the fruit and vegetable sector. He made the announcement after meetings with the ministers of five producer countries (France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece). The European Commission will amend a number of regulations after discussion in the Management Committee (over the course of the coming weeks) to “improve arrangements for the withdrawal of fruit and vegetables from the market in the event of a crisis and also for free distribution”, the commissioner said.
More specifically, the Commission is prepared to review the withdrawal price ceilings for certain products and to simplify and clarify conditions for free distribution in the event of crisis. Ciolos also intends to improve the entry price system “to exclude any possibility of circumventing the rules” in this area. “By mid-May, we should be able to come forward with concrete proposals for the Management Committee prior to decisions being taken”, the commissioner said.
Other proposals are also being considered though these will require amendment of the regulation on the common organisation of the markets (CMO). With the Commission due to publish a report on fruit and vegetable reform, the commissioner says he would be prepared to bring forward a legislative proposal amending the regulation before May 2013. This would require “public debate” during 2012 on a number of issues, including improving arrangements for managing crisis situations, putting in place an insurance system or mutual fund, application of competition law and setting up a “prices and markets observatory”. (LC/transl.rt)