Spanish stonefruit cooperative Fruits de Ponent travelled to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg this week to hear an appeal against the European Commission’s actions in the wake of the Russian veto on EU agricultural products in August 2014.
The company maintains that the measures taken by the Commission to deal with the ensuing disruption to the stonefruit market were inadequate and ineffective, causing serious losses to producers.
In the appeal filed, the cooperative alleges that the European Commission acted belatedly and used correction mechanisms that months before it had itself recognised as being inadequate and ineffective.
In addition, Fruits de Ponent asserts that in not collecting the proper market information the Commission failed to apply the correct withdrawal measures and, through its actions and omissions, failed to show a duty of care and properly defend the interests of the sector.
Fruits de Ponent said in a statement that it decided to take legal action not only to defend the interests and rights of its grower members, but also to highlight the serious crisis affecting the stonefruit sector since 2014, which has resulted in the of millions of euros and led to the disappearance of many farms.
