Brussels, 23/07/2008 (Agence Europe) - The Commission says that the EU has brought the repeal of fruit and vegetable marketing standards (size, appearance, shape, etc.) a step closer. Member states in the management committee held a preliminary vote on repeal proposals on Tuesday 22 July. They did not reach a qualified majority either for or against the proposal. Were this outcome to be repeated in the formal vote later in the year in this same committee, it would be the responsibility of the Commission to adopt the proposed changes, or not.
To reduce red tape and simplify legislation, the Commission proposes getting rid of 26 of the 36 fruit and vegetable marketing standards. Specific standards would be maintained for ten products which account for 75% of the value of EU trade: apples, citrus fruits, kiwi fruit, lettuces, peaches and nectarines, pears, strawberries, sweet peppers, table grapes and tomatoes. The Commission plans to set new general minimum marketing standards for the 26 products for which specific standards would be abolished (such as apricots, artichokes, asparagus, aubergines, cucumbers, onions, spinach, water melons and cultivated mushrooms).
The new marketing standards policy that the Commission wants to put in place in the fruit and vegetable sector is strongly opposed by producer countries (particularly Italy, Spain, France and Hungary). They fear, in summary, that dismantling the standards system will cause a drop in quality and lead to import dumping. The reform of the common market organisation for fruit and vegetables, adopted in June 2007, provided for new marketing standards to be put in place (see EUROPE 9446). In addition, the Commission proposes authorising operators to market non-standard products if they are to be used in processing. These products may not meet standards and be used for cooking or in salads. With the current high demand for food products, “it does not make sense”, the Commission says, to throw away or destroy these products. (L.C./transl.rt)