The plenary meeting of the Joint Committee for Fruits and Vegetables France-Spain-Italy-Portugal has convened this Thursday in Lisbon to discuss the future of the sector in the context of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2027.
At this meeting, officials from the Agriculture ministries of the four countries, together with spokespersons from the main horticultural sub-sectors, have studied in detail the CAP reform proposal 2028-2034, submitted by the European Commission in 2025 and on which a partial agreement was reached in the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers in October. From that point, a new stage of negotiations now opens: the trilogues.
The committee has underscored for the future CAP that the fruits and vegetables sector will maintain a mandatory and specific sectoral intervention, provided that producer organizations exist, with an orientation very similar to the current one.
Within the proposal, the operational programmes will continue to be the main intervention instrument for producer organizations. These programmes must contribute to essential goals such as the concentration of supply, strengthening competitiveness, the commercial valorisation of production, mitigating environmental and climate impact, production planning according to demand, and the prevention and management of crises.
It is also envisaged that they may incorporate new actions aimed at preventing the spread of pests and diseases, as well as promoting innovation in the sector.
Contact groups and shared challenges
Representatives from France, Spain, Italy and Portugal have also reviewed the main issues addressed in the specific contact groups (citrus fruits, strawberries and red berries, tomato, garlic, stone fruit, apple and pear, IV range, table grapes and plant protection products).
These contact groups, set up at the initiative of professionals from the four countries in 2026, aim to exchange information and jointly study the sector’s common problems, with a view to finding solutions at European level.
Among the matters addressed are the growing competition in international markets, the situation of plant protection products, the challenges associated with climate change and its consequences, as well as the stagnation of consumption in certain segments.
Ministerial representatives have urged professionals in the sector to continue collaborating with the committee in 2027 in order to convey their concerns and needs through the contact groups. The next plenary session of this joint committee on fruits and vegetables will take place in Italy in 2027.