Brussels, 23/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - In a letter sent to the European Commission on 18 April, COPA-COGECA (EU farmers and agri-cooperatives) called for the common organisation of the fruit and vegetables market after 2013 to be maintained and reform proposals to be made by July this year.
This organisation considers that the current Community fruit and vegetables regime has enabled producer organisations (POs) to modernise, helped improve the quality of their products and improve environmental and working conditions in the sector.
Pekka Pesonen, the secretary general of the COPA-COGECA, recently declared: “Producers who are members of producer organisations come out much better in times of crisis than those working for themselves. It is proof that the system works well and must be kept, and improved, after 2013” .
COPA-COGECA stated that “upcoming Commission proposals must allow producer organisations, operational funds and operational programmes to remain a cornerstone of the fruit and vegetable support scheme in order to maintain a viable sector and generate employment in EU rural areas”. (LC/transl.fl)