To strengthen market orientation and competitiveness of the sector To reduce fluctuations in farmers’ income To contribute to better balance the FV chain To take more account of the diversity of the sector To reinforce the capacity of producers to manage crises To reduce pressure on the environment: Minimum of 20% spending on environmental measures (and promotion for encouragement of consumption) in each operational programme. EU co-financing rate of 60% for organic production in each operational programme To encourage a greater consumption of FV To ensure coherence with WTO rules and with development and neighbourhood policies To reinf ...[+++]orce predictability and control of public expenditure Elimination of export subsidies To simplify management and improve control

There is a mistake in Commission Regulation (EC) No 46/2003 of 10 January 2003 amending the marketing standards for fresh fruit and vegetables as regards mixes of different types of fresh fruit and vegetables in the same sales package (3) and in Commission Regulation (EC) No 47/2003 of 10 January 2003 amending Annex I to Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96, which provide that different types of products covered by the marketing standards for fresh fruit and vegetables may be combined in sales packages of a net weight of less than three kilograms.

"- where fruit, vegetables or mushrooms, none of which significantly predominates in terms of weight and which are used in proportions that are likely to vary, are used in a mixture as ingredients of a foodstuff, they may be grouped together in the list of ingredients under the designation 'fruit', 'vegetables' or 'mushrooms' followed by the phrase 'in varying proportions', immediately followed by a list of the fruit, vegetables or mushrooms present; in such cases, the mixture shall be included in the list of ingredients in accordance with the first subparagraph, on the basis of the total weight of the fruit, vegetables or mushrooms present,";

Yearly imports of fruit and vegetables from Hungary total about 85 000 tonnes and are worth € 60 million, i.e. around 2% of all the EU's imports of fresh fruit and vegetables.

In all, 80% of the EU's fresh fruit and vegetable imports are covered by these applications, and it is thought that at least half the fresh fruit and vegetable imports of the Union could be eligible in the medium term.

The European Commission today adopted a proposal to amend the Common Market Organisation for fruit and vegetables, including processed fruit and vegetables, as well as the EU's aid scheme for citrus fruits.