At the meeting of the Joint Spanish-French-Italian Committee (formed by individual contact groups of European producing areas), held this week in Huelva, discussions were held on the measures needed to prevent situations like the one that caused last season's crisis.
The most important measures highlighted during the meeting of the fruit sector are based on boosting domestic consumption and expanding the number of foreign destinations for Spanish products.
As regards the promotion of consumption, the EU has been requested to give a push to global campaigns highlighting the benefits of eating fruit. "There is still much room for growth, even in countries where consumption is higher."
For the expansion of export destinations to third countries it will be necessary to work on removing barriers, negotiating export protocols and reaching agreements with these new countries on pest and crop protection matters.
The Committee also stressed that, despite the Commission's commitment to remain alert as the campaign develops, it is essential to immediately activate exceptional crisis management measures and avoid the rush and late midsummer corrections.
Lastly, in the on-going negotiations for the new implementation regulation 543, a reform of the prevention and crisis management system has been requested, mostly regarding the limitations of Producer Organisations and intervention prices.
As regards the assessment of the previous season and the start of the new one, the Committee believes that this year's non-earliness and the expected stability of production volumes allow for optimistic prospects. The 2014 season closes with low prices for stonefruit, slow Golden apple sales and the late reaction from the Commission to the sector's problems.