The European Parliament decided to raise no objections to the Commission delegated regulation of 10 August 2023 on temporary emergency measures derogating in respect of the year 2023 from certain provisions of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/126 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 of the European Parliament and of the Council, to resolve specific problems in the fruit and vegetables sector caused by adverse meteorological events and measures linked to them.

In support of its statement, Parliament recalled that due to severe adverse meteorological events that have taken place in several Member States’ regions in the spring of 2023, the production of fruits and vegetables has been dramatically damaged affecting both the volume produced and its quality. Losses in the value of marketed production (VMP) in the fruit and vegetables sector tend to have a major impact on the amount of Union aid received by producer organisations in the subsequent year.

The amount of Union aid is calculated as a percentage of the VMP of each producer organisation. In the event that substantial losses in VMP were to occur in 2023, producer organisations would risk losing their official recognition, as one of the criteria for such recognition is reaching a certain minimum VMP fixed at a national level. In order to alleviate those difficulties, it is necessary to derogate from provisions concerning the calculation of the VMP laid down in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 2022/126 applicable in the fruit and vegetables sector.

It is recalled that under the delegated regulation, where a reduction of at least 35 % in the value of a product has occurred due to the adverse meteorological events of the spring of 2023 falling outside the responsibility and control of the producer organisation, association of producer organisations, the VMP of that product in 2023 shall be deemed to represent 100 % of the VMP for the average of the five previous 12-month reference periods, excluding the lowest and highest values.