Reforma de la PAC 2028-2034 a debate en Fruit Attraction

The impact of the proposed CAP 2028–2034 on the operating funds of fruit and vegetable producer organizations (OPFH) will be analyzed next Thursday, October 8, as part of FRUIT ATTRACTION, during a roundtable discussion in which Elena Busutil, Director General of Agricultural Production and Markets, will present the Ministry of Agriculture’s perspective, and Carmen Crespo, a Member of the European Parliament and member of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI), will provide the European perspective. Representatives from FEPEX and the Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producer Organizations of Andalusia (Aproa) will provide the sector’s perspective and practical insights into the operation of the OPFHs.

50% co-financed by the producer organizations

The specific framework for the fruit and vegetable sector is constituted by fruit and vegetable producer organizations, which, as their name suggests, are entities that bring together producers and are established to better plan production, consolidate supply, and strengthen marketing. Through these organizations, operational programs are implemented; these are plans for investment and improvement of farms and commercial activities, financed through operational funds co-financed by the European Union and by the organizations themselves. Operational programs are, generally speaking, 50% co-financed by the EU and the producer organizations. This is not direct, decoupled aid, but rather funds tied to specific investment programs. In 2026, Spain notified the European Commission of a funding need of 413 million euros for the operational programs of fruit and vegetable producer organizations. This means that the POs will also mobilize the same amount of resources.

Controversial Proposal for National Aid

In this context, the European Commission’s proposal for the CAP 2028–2034 introduces significant changes to the financing of sectoral interventions. It proposes co-financing of public financial aid for fruit and vegetable producer organizations, requiring a minimum national contribution of 30% of eligible public expenditure, a controversial measure rejected by certain Member States and sector organizations because it would entail budgetary expenditure for national governments that would have to come from the national budget, competing directly with other Common Agricultural Policy measures. The establishment of a minimum national contribution could lead to differences in the intensity of aid provided by Member States, which would result in unequal treatment among producers in different EU countries.

Up for debate on Thursday, October 8

This issue and the other new developments included in the European Commission’s proposal regarding fruit and vegetable producer organizations will be discussed at the roundtable, organized by FEPEX, which will take place on October 8, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the TV Set, located in the connecting area between Halls 7 and 9, next to the FEPEX booth. The roundtable will feature Elena Busutil Fernández, Director General of Agricultural Production and Markets at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food; Carmen Crespo Díaz, Member of the European Parliament and member of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, as well as rapporteur on the future of agriculture and the CAP post-2027; Luis B. Martín Martín, Technical Director of FEPEX; and Victoria Cruz Sánchez, Head of the Partial Operational Program at Aproa, the Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producer Organizations of Andalusia. The panel will be moderated by Begoña Jiménez, Head of Communications at FEPEX.

For more information on the CAP reform, click here.