On Wednesday 8 October 2025 the Parliament adopted the text aiming at strengthening the position of farmers within the supply chain. Read AREFLH observations.

 

AREFLH acknowledges the efforts undertaken by COMAGRI and the European Parliament and expresses its appreciation for their work on the proposal.

The initial proposal from the European Commission——contained several measures that would have been highly detrimental to the fruit and vegetable sector. These provisions risked weakening recognised Producer Organisations (POs), which are a cornerstone of the Common Market Organisation (CMO) since the beginning in 1996 and of producers’ collective strength.

The text adopted now represents a significant step forward compared to this earlier version. It restores greater balance and recognises the essential role of POs in supporting aggregation, investment, and competitiveness across Europe. Nevertheless, AREFLH believes that important work still remains to be done in the forthcoming interinstitutional negotiations to ensure that the final compromise fully safeguards the effectiveness and coherence of the fruit and vegetable CMO.

1-Legal certainty has been enhanced by defining farmers as producers in the fruit and vegetable sector. This clarification strengthens the legal framework and provides much-needed consistency across the CAP legislation and the Common Market Organisation.

 

2- The introduction of a more restrictive definition for unrecognised producer organisations—limited to “cooperatives or any other equivalent legal form registered in accordance with national law”—is a welcome improvement. At the sale time, AREFLH reiterates that official recognition must remain the primary route for market aggregation.

 

3-On the written offer obligation for contracts, we note that the text provides that the first purchaser of an agricultural product shall make a written offer for a contract for the delivery of agricultural products by the farmer, a producer organisation or an association of producer organisations. AREFLH stresses that the Producer Organisation is not a client of its producers, but rather their commercial tool. POs are owned and governed by producers who democratically participate in defining their commercial and innovation strategies. This fundamental aspect of the PO model is missing from the Parliament’s text and should be properly recognised to reflect the true nature and role of POs within the value chain.

 

4- AREFLH welcomes the improvements to Article 168, to better reflect the realities faced by agricultural producers—especially those dealing with perishable or seasonal products. In particular, we thank the Parliament for exempting perishable products from the obligation to register written contracts prior to delivery. Recognising the specific nature of seasonal and perishable goods is a crucial step toward ensuring the workability and fairness of contracts within the supply chain. However, we remain concerned that delegating exemption powers to individual Member States could create a fragmented legal landscape across the EU. Without a harmonised framework or minimum common standards, diverging national interpretations could lead to unequal treatment, market distortions, and legal uncertainty.

 

AREFLH reiterates its commitment to a coherent, competitive, and fair Common Market Organisation that genuinely strengthens the role of recognised producer organisations. The upcoming trilogues must consolidate the progress achieved while addressing the remaining