On Thursday 24 August, the European Commission proposed to authorise Greece, Italy and Spain to withdraw a section of peach and nectarine stocks from the market (see EUROPE 11821).
“This measure would be put in place to support producers who are regularly facing market prices below production costs. Prices have been declining because of an exceptionally good harvest on one side, and because of the closure of significant export markets on the other”, the Commission says.
The current situation is very similar to the one in summer 2014 in the immediate aftermath of the Russian ban on the import of agri-food products from the EU. “In addition to the Russian embargo, since July 2017, phytosanitary measures are limiting access to the Belarusian market”, the Commission notes.
In June 2017, the Commission adopted a measure supporting sectors affected by the Russian embargo. The peaches and nectarines withdrawn from the market would be distributed free of charge, among other uses, states the European Commission. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)