The Franco-Italian group - Spanish of peach and Nectarine required management measures of urgent crisis by the collapse of prices

The contact group of peach and Nectarine of France, Italy and Spain, composed of representatives of the sector in the three countries met on 4 June with a matter of urgency, in Paris, to discuss the serious situation of prices and markets suffering from these fruits and required urgent measures for crisis management implementation. Fepex for the sharp fall in prices is largely caused by the decline in consumption after the food crisis in Germany.

The meeting analysed the situation on the market of these products, which is characterized by a mismatch between supply and demand which has caused a serious crisis of prices. French producers stated that prices were below their production costs, situation that repeats itself in Italy and Spain. French part it expressed that it is unacceptable that offers Spain and Italy origin Peach on the French market to 79 cents kilo, which for them represents a sale price consumer more than 30 per cent below its cost of production.

Spanish part Fepex expressed that entry in the main producing France, Italy and Spain areas campaign coincides with consumption levels below normal in some European markets, as a result of the food crisis, without having the Commission have taken no action to manage the crisis. It also reiterated that current withdrawal measures are insufficient and ineffective, since not may be removed with a Community aid of 8 cents kilo, when the cost of production is around 70 cents.