Copa-Cogeca welcomed today EU Farm Ministers decision on the delegated acts for the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), stressing it will enable farmers to get on with their production plans for the upcoming season. Farmers cannot decide what to sow for the next season until they have clear rules in place, Copa-Cogeca Secretary- General Pekka Pesonen said.
Reacting to the EU Commission report on implementation of the EU Fruit and Vegetable regime, Mr Pesonen stressed that it shows the system works well and that producer organisations like cooperatives, must be encouraged to enable farmers to get a better return for their produce and to add value to it.
The report shows that the share of the total value of EU fruit and vegetable production marketed by producer organisations like cooperatives grew sharply over the period 2008-2010 after the reform was made in 2007, to reach 43.9%.“This is very much in line with our views. The recent food crises also showed that producers who are members of producer organisations came out much better than those working for themselves. It is proof that the system works well and must be kept, and improved. Red tape must be reduced and legal certainties vis-à-vis rules for POs improved. POs need a reliable and stable policy framework to meet upcoming challenges”, he said.
He also welcomed Ministers talks on the dairy sector and urged them to pay attention to the soft landing of the EU milk quota system. Worldwide there is a high demand for dairy products and at the same time European farmers have to pay a penalty. We need to look at the possibilities within the system to find acceptable solutions to this, Pesonen said.