Press Release: CAP reform: Fruit and Vegetable reform will raise competitiveness, promote consumption, ease market crises and improve environmental protection

European Union agriculture ministers have reached unanimous political agreement on wide-ranging reforms to the Common Market Organisation for fruit and vegetables to bring this sector into closer line with the rest of the reformed Common Agricultural Policy. The reforms will improve the competitiveness and market orientation of the F&V sector, reduce income fluctuations resulting from crises, promote consumption and thus contribute to improved public health, and enhance environmental protection. The changes aim to encourage more growers to join Producer Organisations; offer POs a wider range of tools for crisis management; integrate the F&V sector into the Single Payment Scheme; require a minimum level of spending on environmental measures; increase EU funding of organic production and promotional measures; and abolish export subsidies for F&V. The reform will enter into force in 2008.