COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT
Date: 2014-03-04
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, EU financing, agricultural expenditure, agricultural statistics, common agricultural policy, financial aid, fruit, market gardening, producer organisation













EUR-Lex - 52014SC0054 - EN











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52014SC0054

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT /* SWD/2014/054 final */









LIST
OF ACRONYMS
APO    –     Association of producer organisations
CAP    –     Common Agricultural Policy 
CMO   –     Common Market Organisation
CPM   –     Crises prevention and management
EAGF –     European Agricultural Guarantee Fund
EU      –     European Union
EU 10 –     Member States that have joined the EU on 1st of May 2004
EU 12         –   Member States that have joined the EU since 1st of
May 2004
EU 15 –     Member States of the European Union before 1st of May
2004
FSS     –     Farm Structure Survey
F&V    –     Fruit and vegetables
IA       –     Impact Assessment
MS      –     Member State
NFA    –     National Financial Assistance
OF       –     Operational fund
OP       –     Operational programme
PG       –     Producer Group
PO       –     Producer Organisation
RDPs  –     Rural Development programmes
VMP   –     Value of the marketed production
LIST OF MEMBER STATES
AT       –     Austria
BE       –     Belgium
BG      –     Bulgaria
CY      –     Cyprus
CZ       –     Czech Republic
DE      –     Germany
DK      –     Denmark
EE       –     Estonia
EL       –     Greece
ES       –     Spain
FI        –     Finland
FR       –     France
HU      –     Hungary
IE        –     Ireland
IT        –     Italy
LT       –     Lithuania
LU      –     Luxembourg
LV      –     Latvia
MT      –     Malta
NL      –     The Netherlands
PL       –     Poland
PT       –     Portugal
RO      –     Romania
SE       –     Sweden
SI        –     Slovenia
SK       –     Slovakia
UK      –     United Kingdom
Table of Contents
1............ Introduction. 5
2............ National
strategies for sustainable operational programmes. 5
2.1......... National
strategies and national frameworks for environmental actions. 5
2.2......... Monitoring
and evaluation of operational programmes and national strategies. 6
3............ Producer
organisations (POs) and Associations of POs. 8
4............ Operational
programmes, total expenditure and EU financial assistance. 10
5............ Member
States’ reports on the 2012 evaluation of their national strategies: answers to
evaluation questions. 11
COMMISSION
STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT
Accompanying the document
REPORT
FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL

on
the implementation of the provisions concerning producer organisations,
operational funds and operational programmes in the fruit and vegetables sector
since the 2007 reform
("Report on the fruit and vegetables regime")
1.           Introduction
This document presents more detailed
information on the implementation of certain provisions concerning producer
organisations, operational funds and operational programmes in the fruit and
vegetables (F&V) sector and, in particular, regarding:
1.     
National strategies for sustainable operational
programmes;
2.     
Producer organisations;
3.     
Operational programmes of producer
organisations;
4.     
Member States' mid-term evaluation of their
national strategies.
That information supports certain of the
conclusions drawn in the report from the Commission to the European Parliament
and the Council on the implementation of provisions concerning producer
organisations, operational funds and operational programmes in the fruit and
vegetables sector since the 2007 reform, as provided for by Article 184(4) of
Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007[1].
2.           National strategies for sustainable operational
programmes
2.1.        National strategies and national frameworks for
environmental actions
Following the 2007 reform, 23 MSs
established national strategies for sustainable operational programmes (NSs),
which include a national framework for environmental actions (NEF)[2]. All NEFs have taken on
board amendments required by the Commission[3].
The NSs start with an analysis of the
situation in the sector, fix priorities, objectives and eligible measures. They
also establish requirements for monitoring and evaluating (M&E) operational
programmes, performance indicators and reporting obligations for the POs.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No
543/2011[4]
sets out specific common requirements on the overall structure and content of
the NSs, the NEFs, procedures for monitoring and evaluating operational
programmes and NSs, including common performance indicators, and MSs’ annual
reports. Those requirements take account of recommendations the European Court
of Auditors made shortly before the 2007 reform[5].
2.2.        Monitoring and evaluation of operational programmes and
national strategies
Regulation (EU) No 543/2011 establishes
precise requirements regarding the M&E of operational programmes by POs and
of NSs by MSs. These requirements include the obligation to establish a system
to collect, record and maintain information needed for compiling common
performance indicators relating to the baseline situation, financial execution,
outputs, results and impact of the operational programmes implemented[6]. 
POs are required to carry out a mid-term
evaluation of operational programmes. In 2012, 18 MSs undertook an evaluation
of their NS, and sent a report to the Commission by 15 November 2012. Bulgaria sent its report in October 2013.
Based on performance indicators, the
M&E system for NSs builds on the information transmitted by each PO regarding the M&E of its operational programme. The latter is a part of an annual
report on the operational programme implemented during the preceding year,
which must accompany applications for aid. 
MSs have to consolidate the reports of POs
in an annual report on POs, associations of POs, operational funds and
operational programmes running in the previous year, to be sent to the
Commission. The annual reports and the 2012 evaluation reports sent by the MSs
are intended to help the Commission to monitor and evaluate the implementation
of the EU regime in the F&V sector.
To ensure coherence of this three-stage
M&E system, the Commission has developed documents to facilitate a common
understanding and facilitate the implementation of the M&E requirements on
operational programmes and NSs[7].

This has been accompanied by IT
developments, including a system for applying automatic data quality controls
to MS annual reports and a database of annual reports as from 2004, allowing
for ad hoc analyses. New webpages on the F&V regime on the Commission’s
Europa website give public access to NSs, NEFs and reports on 2012 evaluations[8].
3.           Producer
organisations (POs) and Associations of POs
Table 1: Recognised POs and APOs: changes in some key parameters
(2004-2010)
 1.1 — POs 
   || 2004 || 2005 || 2006 || 2007 || 2008 || 2009 || 2010 || 
 A. Total number of POs (i) || 1 569 || 1 393 || 1 432 || 1 427 || 1 549 || 1 638 || 1 599 || 
 B. F&V producers who are members of POs (i) || 397 733 || 438 456 || 430 714 || 454 052 || 457 833 || 442 605 || 411 400 || 
 C. Total number of agricultural holdings with area under F&V crops (ii) || 3 841 645 || 3 591 290 || 3 470 690 || 3 350 090 || 3 063 930 || 2 777 770 || 2 491 610 || 
 D. Share of total F&V producers who are members of POs (= B/C) || 10.4 % || 12.2 % || 12.4 % || 13.6 % || 14.9 % || 15.9 % || 16.5 % || 
 E. Value of the F&V products marketed by POs (€m) (i) (iv) || 13 886 || 14 641 || 15 486 || 18 087 || 19 484 || 19 503 || 21 261 || 
 F. Total value of F&V production (€m) (iii) (iv) || 44 711 || 45 601 || 47 013 || 48 557 || 50 216 || 45 625 || 49 389 || 
 G. Value of the F&V products marketed by POs (% of total value of F&V production (= E/F) || 31.1 % || 32.1 % || 32.9 % || 37.2 % || 38.8 % || 42.7 % || 43.0 % || 
 1.2 — APOs ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   || 
   || 2004 || 2005 || 2006 || 2007 || 2008 || 2009 || 2010 || 
 Total number of APOs || 17 || 22 || 22 || 21 || 31 || 51 || 55 || 
 POs member of APOs — Number (i) || 123 || 136 || 135 || 164 || 322 || 457 || 459 || 
 POs member of APOs — Share of total number of POs (i) || 7.8 % || 9.8 % || 9.4 % || 11.5 % || 20.8 % || 27.9 % || 28.7 % || 
(i)            Source:
EC-DGAGRI-C.2 — calculations from data provided by MSs (Annual Reports
2004-2010).
(ii)           Source:
EC-DGAGRI-C.2 — calculations from results of Eurostat’s Farm Structure Surveys
2003 to 2010.
(iii) Source:
EC-DGAGRI-C.2 — calculations from results of Eurostat’s Economic Accounts for
Agriculture 2004 to 2010.
(iv) Current prices.
Table 2: Case study: Italy – Regions with a degree of producers' organisation
below the national average 
 Regions || Total value of the fruit and vegetables production obtained in the region (average 2009-2011) || Degree of organisation (average 2009-2011) (*) 
 €m || Share of total in Italy (%) 
 Veneto || 697,8 || 7,0% || 43,4% 
 Basilicata || 250,8 || 2,5% || 31,5% 
 Puglia || 1261,3 || 12,7% || 28,9% 
 Marche || 119,6 || 1,2% || 27,8% 
 Toscana || 160,2 || 1,6% || 23,8% 
 Campania || 1319,4 || 13,2% || 23,0% 
 Molise || 52,6 || 0,5% || 23,0% 
 Calabria || 773,4 || 7,8% || 22,2% 
 Umbria || 31,7 || 0,3% || 20,3% 
 Abruzzo || 317,1 || 3,2% || 19,2% 
 Sicilia || 1746,2 || 17,5% || 19,0% 
 Valle d'Aosta/Vallée d'Aoste || 1,8 || 0,0% || 16,8% 
 Sardegna || 342,3 || 3,4% || 8,5% 
 Liguria || 24,9 || 0,3% || 4,8% 
 ITALIA || 9969,8 || 100,0% || 47,3% 
Source: EC-DGAGRI-C.2 -
calculation from data transmitted by Italy in the frame of the request for
Commission's authorisation to grant national financial assistance to POs in
regions with a low degree of organisation of producers in 2013.
(*) Value of the
fruit and vegetables production obtained in the region concerned and marketed
by POs/APOs divided by the total value of the fruit and vegetables production
obtained in the region.
4.           Operational
programmes, total expenditure and EU financial assistance
Table 3: Operational programmes, total expenditure and EU financial
assistance, current prices (2004-2010)
   ||   || 2004 || 2005 || 2006 || 2007 || 2008 || 2009 || 2010 
 Total number of POs || 1 569 || 1 393 || 1 432 || 1 427 || 1 549 || 1 638 || 1 599 
 POs with an operational programme || A. Total number || 918 || 867 || 938 || 1 109 || 1 205 || 1 187 || 1 168 
 B. Share of all POs || 58.5 % || 62.2 % || 65.5 % || 77.7 % || 77.8 % || 72.5 % || 73.1 % 
 C. POs with an operational programme under the new regime || - || - || - || - || 624 || 985 || 1 079 
 51.7 % || 83.1 % || 92.3 % 
 D. Number of F&V producer members || 254 218 || 265 833 || 296 123 || 358 424 || 356 921 || 332 510 || 323 440 
 E. Share of total number of F&V producers who are members of POs || 63.9 % || 60.6 % || 68.8 % || 78.9 % || 78.0 % || 75.1 % || 78.6 % 
 F. Value of the products marketed (€m) (i) || 9 658 || 9 998 || 11 452 || 15 206 || 16 963 || 16 371 || 19 700 
 G. Share of total value of the products marketed by POs || 69.5 % || 68.3 % || 73.9 % || 84.1 % || 87.1 % || 83.9 % || 92.7 % 
 H. Average value of the products marketed per PO (€m) (i) (=F/A) || 10.5 || 11.5 || 12.2 || 13.7 || 14.1 || 13.8 || 16.9 
 Total operational funds || I. Total expenditure (€m) (i) || 713 || 712 || 689 || 865 || 1 149 || 1 233 || 1 374 
 J. (of which) Financial contribution by POs and/or POs’ members (€m) || 333 || 323 || 328 || 392 || 592 || 618 || 703 
 EU financial assistance || K. (of which) EU financial assistance (€m) (i) || 380 || 389 || 361 || 474 || 557 || 615 || 671 
 L. Share of total expenditure for operational programmes || 53.3 % || 54.6 % || 52.4 % || 54.8 % || 48.5 % || 49.9 % || 48.8 % 
 M. Share of total value of the products marketed by POs with an operational programme || 3.9 % || 3.9 % || 3.2 % || 3.1 % || 3.3 % || 3.8 % || 3.4 % 
 N. Share of total value of F&V production || 0.8 % || 0.9 % || 0.8 % || 1.0 % || 1.1 % || 1.3 % || 1.3 % 
Source: EC-AGRI-C.2 — calculations from
data provided by MSs (Annual Reports 2004-2010).
Table 4: Producer organisations with an operational
programme, by size classes (2010)
 Size class ||  POs with an operational programme ||  Total expenditure for operational programmes ||  EU financial assistance 
  Number ||  Share ||  €m ||  Share ||  €m ||  Share 
 A — 0<VMP<€ 500 000 || 10 || 0.9 % || 1.1 || 0.1 % || 0.5 || 0.1 % 
 B — € 500 000=<VMP<€ 2 m || 160 || 13.7 % || 18.9 || 1.4 % || 9.0 || 1.3 % 
 C — € 2 m=<VMP<€ 5 m || 344 || 29.5 % || 87.0 || 6.4 % || 40.8 || 6.1 % 
 D — € 5 m=<VMP<€ 10 m || 262 || 22.4 % || 130.6 || 9.5 % || 63.5 || 9.5 % 
 E — € 10 m=<VMP<€ 20 m || 179 || 15.3 % || 175.0 || 12.8 % || 84.6 || 12.6 % 
 F — € 20 m=<VMP<€ 50 m || 140 || 12.0 % || 297.3 || 21.7 % || 144.1 || 21.5 % 
 G — VMP>=€ 50 m || 73 || 6.3 % || 658.9 || 48.1 % || 327.9 || 48.9 % 
 All POs with an operational programme || 1 168 || 100.0 % || 1 368.8 || 100.0 % || 670.3 || 100.0 % 
Source: EC-AGRI-C.2 — calculations from data
transmitted by MSs (Annual Reports 2010).
5.           Member
States’ reports on the 2012 evaluation of their national strategies: answers to evaluation questions.
To what extent have the operational
programmes implemented contributed to the overall and specific objectives? —
Summary
[1]               Council
Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 of 22 October 2007 establishing a common
organisation of agricultural markets and on specific provisions for certain
agricultural products (Single CMO Regulation) (OJ L 299, 16.11.2007, p. 1).
[2]                      Article 103f of
Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007. Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Slovenia are exempted from the obligation to establish a national strategy since they have
no recognised POs.
[3]               Article 103f(1), second subparagraph of Regulation
(EC) No 1234/2007.
[4]               OJ L 157, 15.6.2011, p. 1.
[5]               European Court of Auditors’ Special Report No 8/2006
(OJ C 282, 20.11.2006, p. 32).
[6]               MSs may specify in their NS additional indicators,
reflecting national or regional needs, conditions and objectives specific to
the operational programmes.
[7]               The documents, in all EU languages, include
guidelines on the common performance indicators, a new template for the annual
report to be sent by MSs and guidelines on the 2012 evaluation of NSs by MSs.
[8]               See
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/fruit-and-vegetables/country-files/index_en.htm.