IN DEFENCE OF THE PARTNERS-PRODUCERS OF THE COOPERATIVE GROUP FRUITS DE PONENT
THE LAWSUIT FILED BY FRUITS DE PONENT BEFORE THE EUROPEAN COURT REGARDING LOSSES INCURRED DURING THE 2014 SEASON
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The 2014 stone fruit season was marked by a crisis in terms of prices from the start, one which worsened with the announcement of the “Russian Veto”. This had serious consequences for the sector in general, with economic losses included. With respect to these exceptional circumstances, and as a response in order to avoid future situations, such as that experienced two years ago, the Cooperative Group is asking the sector to react, filing a lawsuit against the European Commission due to the actions undertaken by the latter and as the organisation responsible for market regulation. In this regard, the relevant briefings were scheduled for 2015 and 2016.
Finally, and after carrying out extensive work in order to verify the viability of this demand, Fruits de Ponent has decided to proceed, in order to DEFEND THE INTERESTS OF THE PARTNER-FARMERS AND PRODUCERS who form part of Fruits de Ponent. As a cooperative group, and in line with the values (those of cooperation) among which is that of interest for the community and the independence in the decision-making process, this organisation has decided to take this action, while respecting any other option.
However, it must be noted that this is not an ‘attack’, nor does it seek to accuse the abovementioned commission as being the sole culprit, it is rather a demand for fair treatment by means of those legal mechanisms provided by the EU through the courts established for this purpose.
CLAIM
The claims presented in this lawsuit demand economic compensation from the European Commission with respect to those losses incurred during 2014. In order to reach this conclusion, determined examples are provided that are used as the basis for this demand and which, on all accounts, are quantities, the amount of which is solely an example of the general losses incurred two years ago. The document argues that the price crisis and the later prohibition on the entry of fresh fruit to Russia from EU member countries, should have been administered by European mechanisms with greater speed and efficiency, and in the defence of the general interests of a sector that experienced the losses of millions of tonnes of fruit, with the dire economic consequences that resulted from this. This demand, therefore, also requests that the European Court itself reprimands the European Commission for the manner in which it administered the 2014 crisis, with the application of measures that were demonstrably inefficient, as well as for the manifest failure in the mechanisms of crisis management established by the new common administrative procedure (CAP) and the over-confidence of the community institutional system for economic compensation, which were highly inadequate when faced with such exceptional situations.
PARTICIPANTS
The demand involves proceedings of non-contractual liability against the European Commission and is being presented before the General Court of the European Union in Luxembourg by the legal firm Despacho Roca Junyent, SLP, on behalf of Fruits de Ponent, SCCL.
