Copa-Cogeca has endorsed a move by the European Parliament's agricultural committee to put back €80m for fruit and vegetable producer organisations into the draft EU budget for 2012.

European ministers had previously proposed a similar cut in expenditure for the coming year.

Copa-Cogeca secretary-general Pekka Pesonen said: 'EU fruit and vegetable producers have been suffering from a major crisis recently and these funds are vital to ensure their survival.'

MEPs have also re-instated €2m for quality improvement measures and agreed not to reduce the €26m earmarked for the EU's subsidised school fruit scheme.

They have requested a further €600m aid package for vegetable producers specifically affected by the recent E coli crisis and Copa-Cogeca 'hopes the full set of MEPs will follow this line in plenary session'.

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