AREFLH calls on the European Commission to put in place exceptional measures

Gathered by videoconference, the representatives of the Regions and Producer Organizations members of the AREFLH have drawn up a joint document to be sent to the European Commission to request the implementation of support measures for European fruit and vegetable producers.

 

 

 

In the letter addressed to Ursula Von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and to Janusz Wojciechowski, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, the AREFLH underlines that it is the whole of the European fruit and vegetable sector who must benefit from urgent measures in the face of the exceptional situation facing producers.

 

 

 

The situation is very worrying, particularly for certain productions that have already entered the harvest phase, and the regions have to face difficulties, in particular with regard to the checks to be carried out with POs (producer organizations), made impossible because of confinement.

 

 

 

The priorities for action and measures proposed by AREFLH relate to: the right to the free movement of goods and workers in the EU; the approval of exceptional exemptions for the management of operational programs by POs (producer organizations) in the fruit and vegetables sector for the year 2020; the activation of exceptional measures relating to the common organization of the markets to deal with current disturbances.

 

 

 

These proposals, detailed in the letter to President Von der Leyen, are likely to be implemented quickly and with minimum budgetary adjustments, while providing much-needed assistance to EU fruit and vegetable producers.