Producer organisations should remain a central part of attempts to boost the EU fresh fruit and vegetable sector during the coming years, according to European agriculture ministers.
Meeting at the Council of the European Union in Luxembourg this week, the ministers approved conclusions made in a recent EC report on the implementation of changes to the Common Agricultural Policy relating to fresh produce since 2007.
In a statement, the Council agreed that the reforms had generated an increase in theshare of the EU fruit and vegetable market belonging to producer organisations, but noted that the overall level of organisation between producers remained low in some countries and regions.
'The Council therefore believes that producers' organisations working within sustainable operational programmes under regulation 1308/2013 should continue to play a central role in achieving the objectives of the CAP for the fruit and vegetables sector,' it stated.
'The Council invites the Commission to review and analyse the underlying reasons and possible improvements to better achieve the objectives set by the CAP in this sector, and, after an adequate period of implementation of the new regulation, if appropriate, take the necessary initiatives.'
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