EU agricultural cooperatives and organisations (Copa-Cogeca) asked the European Commission, on Thursday 2 April, to take exceptional measures in favour of the fruit and vegetable sector, which has been badly affected by the effects of the coronavirus crisis.
In a letter to the Director General of DG AGRI, Copa-Cogeca expresses its "deep concern" about the current and future situation of the fruit and vegetable sector.
There are serious disruptions in the demand for certain types of production (strawberries, vegetables, etc.) The marketing of fruit and vegetables as well as the delivery of these products destined for the processing industry are facing problems in terms of labour availability. In addition, consumer habits change during the crisis.
Copa-Cogeca calls for exceptional measures to be made available to all fruit and vegetable growers concerned and for adjustments to the administrative management rules of operational programmes of producer organisations to be adapted to reduce constraints.
European farmers are calling for the triggering of Articles 219 (measures to prevent market disturbances) and 222 (withdrawal from the market or free distribution of their products, conversion and processing...) of Regulation 1308/2013 on the Common Market Organisation (CMO), "to ensure a better organised fruit and vegetable supply chain that is better prepared to face future problems," the letter states.
In addition, farmers and consumers will be better protected against the impact of extreme price volatility, thanks to a derogation from the competition rules, Copa-Cogeca also calls for.
Link to the Copa-Cogeca letter: https://bit.ly/348Whqp (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)