Brussels, 12/07/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 11 July, the EU management committee approved a draft regulation to improve the effectiveness of crisis management instruments and the “entry price system” in the fruit and vegetable sector.
With regard to crisis management and prevention measures available to producer organisations (POs) within their operational programmes, certain rules have been simplified and made more flexible to encourage more of the POs to provide charities (for free distribution) with products that they have withdrawn from the market due to crisis situations.
The regulation also aims to make rules more flexible on green harvesting and non-harvesting.
The Commission has also agreed to add compensation payments for withdrawing certain products. The amounts of aid per kilo paid to POs for products withdrawn from the market have been increased for certain products. These amounts have been set at levels that guarantee withdrawals become an effective instrument in times of crisis, whilst avoiding these kinds of withdrawals being made in normal market situations. In the event of withdrawals being made for purposes other than free distribution, the amounts have been increased to a minimum 20% of EU average prices for winter tomatoes, grapes, apricots, pears, aubergines and melons. In compliance with the objective of encouraging free distribution, the amounts of support for free distribution have been increased to a level that is 30% above average EU prices, which affects the products mentioned above, as well as cauliflowers, apples, watermelons, clementines and lemons.
Finally, the regulation improves implementation of the entry price system in force for imports of fruit and vegetables from non-EU countries: enhancing traceability of import batches, so as to guarantee the effective functioning of the system and prevent fraud. This is a means to prevent third country exports systematically getting round the system. (LC/trans/fl)