Luxembourg, 18/10/2004 (Agence Europe) - Several Member States called for changes to the rules for the common market organisation for fruit and vegetables, at Monday's meeting of the Council of Agriculture Ministers of the Member States of the EU.
Italy, Belgium, Poland and Malta called for more crisis management instruments than simply that of withdrawing products. These countries suggested that the operational funds would be able to cover such insurance polices completely. France stressed that the CMO (reformed in 1996) should be improved, as the chain no longer has the instruments to allow it to tackle crisis management. The United Kingdom, Sweden and Denmark, on the other hand, asked for the only existing crisis management instrument (withdrawal) to be abolished, and took position in favour of a radical reform of the whole of this sector (decoupling of direct aid). Many producing countries called for the organisational capabilities of producer associations to be stepped up. The Netherlands stressed the need to increase the level of marketing aid (in favour of processed products), and to reduce the level of production of fresh products.
The French minister, Hervé Gaymard, explained to the press that the idea would be to set up tools to prevent excessive price volatility. "There really is a missing link, and that is having a tool kit to allow the Member States, under the eye of the Commission obviously, to set up market management measures. With a bit of organisation and without excessive budgetary costs, I think we could certainly set up this kind of system", he said.