Difficult times for Fruit & Vegetables : joint press release

On 4th June, the European Commission’s Advisory Group on fruit and vegetables adopted a joint resolution calling on the EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Dacian Cioloş, to take appropriate action to move the fruit and vegetable sector forward in the current difficult situation. The resolution calls for strong EU-based production and industry, a strong EU trade sector and greater efficiency and transparency within the fruit and vegetable supply chain with the aim of increasing fruit and vegetable consumption in the EU-27.


The Advisory Groups were established by Commission Decision 2004/391/EC and deal with matters covered under the Common Agricultural Policy. The Advisory Group on fruit and vegetables represents agricultural producers and cooperatives, agricultural and food-manufacturing industries, the agricultural products and foodstuffs trade, farm and food-industry workers, consumers and environmentalists.
On 4th June, the European Commission’s Advisory Group on fruit and vegetables adopted a resolution on the present and future situation in the fruit and vegetable sector. The resolution emphasises the important role played by the sector in the EU economy in terms of employment (production, processing, trade, etc.), rural development and the environment and also reiterates the health benefits for consumers of a diet rich in fruit and vegetables.


Operators are exposed to increasing production costs and falling prices and income. Producers’ incomes are at stake as market conditions often lead to prices at farm gate being below production costs. At the same time, EU growers and processors face increased competition from third countries. The processing sector is facing a challenging time. It is losing ground on export markets and none of the infrastructure is operating at full capacity. Moreover, as a result of the financial and economic crisis, export conditions have also become more complicated on top of the existing SPS barriers, mainly due to lack of an efficient export tool box.


Today, fruit and vegetable consumption remains below the minimum recommendations of the WHO (400g/day) in most Member States. Innovation is needed in order to meet the demands of changing lifestyles and consumer requirements for more convenient fruit and vegetable products.


The resolution also highlights that the sector has its own specific characteristics due to the perishable nature of its products and volatile market. Although it is vulnerable to extreme weather, and is characterised by a market which can be destabilised by only small variations in volume, the current situation cannot be explained by normal crop and market fluctuation alone.
Against this background, the resolution calls among others for:

  • An urgent review of current prevention and crisis market management tools
  • The maintenance of EU support to producer organisations (operational programmes and funds) in the fruit and vegetable sector under pillar 1 of the CAP post 2013
  • Measures to ensure that growing fruit for the processing industry remains profitable for growers in order to secure the future of the processing industry
  • The provision of a favourable and efficient framework to enable trade to operate with harmonised rules
  • The provision of a favourable environment to diversify market output in the EU by, for example, facilitating the consumption of fruit and vegetables in the foodservices sector
  • The development of an EU strategy to stimulate exports of fruit and vegetables
  • A strengthening of the promotion scheme for fruit and vegetables, both on the internal market and in third countries
  • A strengthening of the EU School Fruit Scheme


Mr Pino Calcagani, Chairperson of the EC’s Advisory Group on fruit and vegetables, stated : another crisis within the sector should be avoided and the European Commission should bear in mind the important role of the sector for employment and economic activities across Europe. He went on to say that “there are very strong and scientifically-sustained calls to increase fruit and vegetable consumption as a way to improve public health and reduce health care costs in the long term. Against this background an ambitious EU strategy supporting both the sector and consumption should urgently be adopted”.


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More information may be obtained from, among others, the contacts people for the following stakeholders from the Advisory Group on fruit and vegetables:


Philippe Binard, General Delegate, Freshfel Europe, info@freshfel.org
Freshfel Europe is the European Fresh Produce Association, representing the interests of importers, exporters, wholesalers , distributors, and retailers of fresh fruits and vegetables in Europe and beyond. Freshfel Europe currently has over 200 members, including both companies and associations. More information on www.freshfel.org.

Suzanne Meyer, Secretary General, PROFEL, profel@agep.eu
PROFEL is the European Association of fruit and vegetable processing industries (canned vegetables, frozen vegetables, dehydrated vegetables, jams and preserves, canned fruit and compotes), representing over 500 companies in 15 EU countries. More information on  www.profel-europe.eu


Dominique Dejonckheere, Senior Policy Advisor, dominique.dejonckheere@copa-cogeca.eu
Copa-Cogeca is the united voice of farmers and agri-cooperatives in the EU. Together, they ensure that EU agriculture is sustainable, innovative and competitive, guaranteeing food security to half a billion people throughout Europe. Copa represents over 13 million farmers and their families whilst Cogeca represents the interests of 38,000 agricultural cooperatives. They have 77 member organisations from the EU member states. More information on  www.copa-cogeca.eu

Document : 
Difficult times for Fruit & Vegetables.pdf.pdf