The European Commission is expected to finalise proposals to decouple its fruit and vegetable regime.
The European farm commissioner Russell Mildon will be in London on January 24 to conduct a briefing on the proposals.
The aims of the reform are to encourage increased fruit and vegetable consumption across all member states while reducing pressure on the environment and boosting co-financing of organic production. Reform is also expected to simplify management of the sector in general.
The proposals are tipped to include a decoupling of subsidies for products for processing - citrus, tomatoes, peaches and pears. This would keep the fruit and vegetable sector in line with the policy of decoupling of the wider common agricultural policy.
But with different production sectors in difficulty, for example the citrus sector in Spain, added support against a background of decoupling may be necessary to prevent a deepening of the crisis.
There will be a full report on freshinfo next week.
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