The EU actively supports the fruit and vegetable sector though its market-management scheme (element of the "common organisation of agricultural markets"), which has 4 broad goals:
Growers are encouraged to join producer organisations. These receive support for implementing operational programmes, based on a national strategy.
In certain EU regions, for a transitional period, producer groups (PGs) formed on the initiative of growers can get financial aid to help them attain recognition as producer organisations.Recognition of interbranch organisations (IBO) is favoured where they proof to be sufficiently representative of the various occupational categories of the fruit and vegetables sector and they carry out practical actions contributing to the goals of the scheme.The scheme promotes product quality by applying marketing standards to certain products and supporting operational programme measures that improve or maintain product quality.
Support is offered for crisis prevention/management measures under operational programmes, i.e.:
A school fruit scheme has been created to promote fruit and vegetable consumption by children.Support is also given to free distributionof fruit and vegetables to schools, hospitals and charities.
Other activities promoting consumption under PO's operational programmes can also receive support.
At least 10 percent of spending in the operational programmes must be on environmental actions that go beyond mandatory environmental standards. Alternatively, programmes must include at least 2 such actions.When receiving direct payments or agri-environmental payments under EU rural development programmes, growers are subject to penalties (cross-compliance if they fail to meet mandatory environmental standards.
Seeds are produced in almost all Member States. Denmark, France, Germany, Spain and Italy are among the largest producers.
Seeds are generally classified in groups of varieties. The 4 groups are:
The regime for live plants and floriculture products covers all products falling under Chapter 6 of the Combined Nomenclature, and the sector itself is covered by the single CMO regulation (No 1308/2013). The Commission monitors production, market and trade flows in the sector.
Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007 (CMO Regulation)
Certified seeds for the internal market and imported into the EU, including the GMO issues are subject to marketing standards and rules defined by Directives and Regulations under the responsibility of the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE).
The EU actively supports the fruit and vegetable sector though its market-management scheme (element of the "common organisation of agricultural markets"), which has 4 broad goals:
