Copa-Cogeca has welcomed a statement from Hungarian farm minister Sandor Fazekas, who said the E.coli crisis highlighted the important role of producer organisations and the need to strengthen them.
Paolo Bruni, Cogeca's president, met with Fazekas and called on the European Union to deliver a second package of measures to help producers who have been losing up to €400m a week since the outbreak in May of a new strain of E.coli in Germany.
The EU rescue package is worth €210m, but the European farming co-operatives union wants all affected producers to be compensated in full.
Copa-Cogeca secretary-general Pekka Pesonen reiterated calls for promotional measures to be activated immediately: 'It is vital to restore consumer confidence in the height of the season.'
