Consultation on the implementation and enforcement of the EC Marketing Standards in fresh fruit and vegetables as revised by Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1221/2008

Crops Hub
Area 8C, 9 Millbank
c/o 17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR

Telephone
Website www.defra.gov.uk

 

27 February 2009

Dear Consultee

Consultation on the implementation and enforcement of the EC Marketing Standards in fresh fruit and vegetables as revised by Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1221/2008

1.   I am writing to invite views on the implementation and enforcement of the Marketing Standards in fresh fruit and vegetables contained in Commission Regulation 1580/2007, as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1221/2008.  Copies of these Regulations can be found at eur-lex.europa.eu/en/index.htm.

2.   These standards are enforced in England and Wales by the Horticultural Marketing Inspection Branch of the Rural Payments Agency Inspectorate (RPAI).  Separate arrangements apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland.  See RPAI website for further details at www.rpa.gov.uk

3.   The following documents may be found on the Defra and Welsh Assembly Government websites: www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/fruitandveg/index.htm and wales.gov.uk/consultations/environmentandcountryside/?lang=en

    • Consultation letter
  • Consultation paper
  • Partial Impact Assessment
  • Draft Explanatory Memorandum and Partial Regulatory Impact Assessment (for Wales only)
  • Statutory Instrument (for England)
  • Statutory Instrument (for Wales)

4.   We welcome your views and comments on the proposals.  If you wish to obtain a copy of this consultation please contact Jackie Tennyson on 020 7238 1054.

Responses

5.   Please send responses to me at:

Horticulture and Potatoes Team
Defra
Area 8C, 9 Millbank
c/o Nobel House
17 Smith Square
LONDON
SW1P 3JR

fruitandveg.reform@defra.gsi.gov.uk

6.   Responses should be received by 24 April 2009.

Consultation Criteria

7.   This consultation is in line with the Code of Practice on Consultation.  This can be found at www.berr.gov.uk/bre/.

8.   However, we have reduced the consultation period from 12 weeks to 8 weeks for a number of reasons and they are as follows:

  • The revised Marketing Standards proposal was not voted through in Brussels until 12 November last year which meant that despite making initial plans for implementation we were not able to progress these to a great extent.
  • We need a Statutory Instrument (SI) in place by 1 July 2009 to allow us to apply certain provisions and enforce the revised Marketing Standards.
  • In addition we are undertaking a joint consultation exercise with the Welsh Assembly Government as the RPAI enforce the standards for England and Wales.

9.   In view of the shortened consultation period we are combining a written consultation with industry and consumer focused workshops lead by the RPAI.  We are very keen to engage with those affected and help them understand the changes, seek their views and also deal with their concerns.  Further information on where to register your interest is contained in the consultation document.

10.   When this consultation ends we will put a copy of the responses in the Defra library in London.  This is so that the public can see them.  Also, members of the public may ask for a copy of responses under Freedom of Information legislation.

11.   If you do not want your response - including your name, contact details and any other personal information - to be publicly available, please say so clearly in writing when you send your response to the consultation.  Please note that if your computer automatically includes a confidentiality disclaimer that will not count as a confidentiality request.

12.   Please explain why you need to keep details confidential.  We will take your reasons into account if someone asks for this information under Freedom of Information legislation. Legal reasons, however, mean that we cannot promise that we will always be able to keep those details confidential.

13.   We will also summarise all responses and place this summary on both the Defra and Welsh Assembly Government websites at www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/fruitandveg/index.htm and wales.gov.uk/consultations/closedconsultations/environment/?lang=en. This summary will include a list of names of organisations that responded but not people’s personal names, addresses or other contact details.

14.   To see consultation responses and summaries, please contact the library at:

Defra
Information Resource Centre
Lower Ground Floor
Ergon House
17 Smith Square
LONDON
SW1P 3JR

Telephone: 020 7238 6575
Email: defra.library@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Or see the Welsh Assembly Government website:
wales.gov.uk/consultations/environmentandcountryside/?lang=en

15.   Please give the library 24 hours’ notice.  There is a charge for photocopying and postage.

16.   If you have any comments or complaints about the consultation process, please address them to:

Marjorie Addo
Defra Consultation Co-ordinator
Area 7C Nobel House
17 Smith Square
LONDON
SW1P 3JR

Email: consultation.coordinator@defra.gsi.gov.uk.

17.   Thank you for your help in this matter.  If you have any queries please contact us as above.

Yours faithfully

signiture

Amanda Scarfe
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Page published: 27 February 2009