Spain: Cooperatives calls for improvements in the management tools of EU crisis

The European Commission took the first step for the adoption of a regulation to regulate the exceptional measures for fruit and vegetables from June 30 and for one year. These measures, which will give continuity to those in force today, respond to repeated requests from, oblivious to geopolitical tensions between the EU and Russia, but main victim, and the administrations of the major producing countries European fruit and vegetable sector.

In addition to the continuation of the same regime and its foreseeable implementation for before the start of the summer season, Cooperative Agro-alimentary of Spain celebrates that have been added, as has been claiming, new products in the list of eligible exceptional aids, such as persimmon and cherry.

However, Cooperative Agro-alimentary of Spain continue asking the Commission the necessary improvements for community crisis management instruments are truly effective. To do this, as it has done in recent months along with cooperatives in France and Italy, will move to policy makers in Madrid and Brussels a series of requests:

• Include in the project, as eligible all products affected by the veto.
• considerably larger quotas allocated withdrawal, which, according to the plan released yesterday, are 70% less to those that were set for 2015.
• Increase the maximum amount of aid for withdrawals (set out in Annex XI Implementing Regulation 543/2011), an essential measure for the system of prevention and crisis management within the Operational Programmes of Producer Organisations viable.
• Intensify community efforts to open markets in third countries under the principle of reciprocity, and lift the phytosanitary trade barriers which currently hinder the possibilities for diversification of exports of Community fruit and vegetables.

Agro-food Cooperative of Spain appreciates the decision of the Commission, announced at the Agriculture Council in early April and appreciates his sensitivity as well as the involvement of the European Parliament and the commitment of the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, in defending the interests the fruit and vegetable sector, in the general debate on the crisis in European agricultural markets that has taken in recent weeks to the Member States.

Source: Agro-food Cooperatives