New health emphasis as EU agrees changes to fruit & vegetable support system

The European Union's 27 member states have reached a unanimous agreement on changes to the EU's system of support for growers of fruit and vegetables under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

The EU's leading independent news and information service about the CAP, Agra Europe, reported that agriculture ministers meeting in Luxembourg on June 12 agreed to changes which are designed to get rid of the wasteful surpluses of the past – and to make a positive contribution to European public health by encouraging consumers to eat more fruit and vegetables.

But inevitably, a series of compromises were made in the European Commission's original proposal to make the deal palatable to all of the EU's member countries.

There will be more EU money to finance promotion and generic advertising to boost sales of fruits and vegetables to Europe's population – most of whom are still eating less than the World Health Organisation's recommended minimum intake. A 'school fruit' scheme – similar to the long-established programme to deliver subsidised milk to schools – has been approved in principle

Meanwhile, the EU's hugely controversial system of buying-up surplus fruit and vegetables that cannot find a market will be abandoned. Instead, designated Producer Organisations will take responsibility for managing the marketing of their own members' produce, seeking solutions with the help of EU cash if they run into seasonal difficulties.

And the old system of aids paid to manufacturers of processed fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes and pears, will be scrapped and replaced with aid payments to growers to compensate them for the lower prices which processors will now pay them. But after fierce lobbying by fruit processors in Mediterranean countries, it was agreed to delay the introduction of this reform for up to five years.

The reformed support system will cost EU taxpayers between €1.5 and €1.8 billion (£1.0-1.2bn) a year between now and 2013, which is no more - but no less - than the unreformed regime would have cost