The European Commission has announced the adoption of a new emergency market measures programme for perishable fruit and vegetables, in the wake of the Russian ban on imports of certain EU agricultural products.
Worth up to €165m, the new scheme provides support to withdraw surplus volumes from the market and comes in addition to the programme worth up to €125m for fruit and vegetables that was announced on 18 August, but suspended on 10 September because provisional applications showed that the full budget allocation had already been claimed.
In a statement the EC said that, In order to be better targeted, the new scheme includes an annex outlining eligible volumes in individual Member States with specific figures per product group.
These volumes are based on export volumes for this period in the last three years with amounts deducted to take account of volumes already claimed under the first €125m scheme. The new plan also includes oranges, mandarins and clementines for the first time.
Confirming the programme on Monday (29 September), EU agricultural commissioner Dacian Cioloş stated: 'I am pleased that the Commission has managed to mobilise a further €165m to help ease the market pressure for fruit and vegetable growers following the Russian ban. This programme will be more targeted than the initial scheme, although there is still some flexibility within the 4 product groups. These market support measures will provide short-term relief.'
As in the previous programme, the new scheme foresees EU support for withdrawals for free distribution (which is 100 per cent EU-funded), or for withdrawals for non-food use (e.g. composting), where the rate of EU support is lower.
Similarly, the option of green-harvesting or non-harvesting is also available, with a support level slightly lower still. As previously, the measures will also be available for producers who are not members of producer organisations (PO), but the level of EU funding is higher for PO members (75 per cent of the figure foreseen, compared with 50 per cent for non-members), with the possible further (25 per cent) top-up for such producers from the PO operational fund.
The new scheme, which will run until the end of the year, includes an annex with specific volumes listed in four product categories for the 12 countries which exported the most fruit and vegetables to Russia during the September-December period (September to March for certain fruit) on average from 2011-2013.
The four product groups are apples and pears (total 181 000 tonnes); citrus: oranges, mandarins, clementines (total 96,090 tonnes); other vegetables: carrots, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes (44,300 tonnes); other fruits: kiwifruit, plums and table grapes (total 76,895 tonnes). A number of products covered in the previous scheme - cabbage, cauliflowers, headed broccoli, mushrooms, and soft fruit - are no longer included.
In addition to these specific volumes, all 28 Member State will have a reserve of 3,000 tonnes each for supplementary withdrawals for the products listed in this programme, plus cauliflowers, cabbages and mushrooms, with Member States allowed to prioritise certain products.
