Community aid scheme for producers of certain citrus fruits

OBJECTIVE: the proposal for a Council regulation aims to establish an aid scheme for producers of certain citrus fruits. It has two main objectives: - as regards production, to prevent continued recourse to processing as an alternative outlet for fruit originally destined for the fresh market; - as regards the processing industry, to enable the industry to move into new products (freshly squeezed and pasteurised juice), the only products where the Community has any chance of being competitive in relation to third countries. CONTENT: to achieve these objectives, the Commission is proposing a flexible system based on processing contracts signed by processors and producers' organisations. The price of the raw materials, which must meet certain minimum conditions, will be freely established in line with supply and demand. Aid will be granted to producers' organisations for raw materials supplied to the industry in order to: - support producers' incomes, - facilitate negotiations with the industry, - promote the concentration of production through producers' organisations. The aid will be adjusted whenever the thresholds are exceeded. �