Revision of the Common market Organisation (CMO) Regulation

Key points

The EESC:

• welcomes the proposed modifications by the European Commission (EC) in the proposal COM(2025) 553 final for the revision of the Common Market Organisation (CMO);
• points out that there is a mismatch between the ambition reflected in the proposals – which give Member States (MS) the opportunity to add new sectoral interventions – and the fact that the proposed budget ringfenced for the CAP is smaller than the current budget and that Member States are being called upon to co-finance interventions, which is not the case today for fruit and vegetables. This may also jeopardise the functioning of the internal market;
• recognises the effort made by the EC to simplify the CMO Regulation in various aspects. It aims to facilitate its understanding, promote its development and implementation, and thereby improve the functioning of the different measures, with a view to enhancing the situation of farmers and other operators along the agri-food chain. The current sectoral interventions will run beyond the end of the current budget period and that there is therefore a need for transitional arrangements;
• emphasises the need for the essential and strategic nature of the agri-food sector to be clearly recognised. Contingency protocols for crises and exceptional situations, to be developed by MS, should include this principle, ensuring that public authorities are obliged to facilitate the activities of all operators in the sector during crises. This is crucial to guaranteeing food supply at all times and to contributing to the reassurance of European citizens, thereby preventing unnecessary food hoarding and related safety issues;
• reiterates the need for transparency regarding the composition of food products and for this information to be readily accessible to consumers. Additionally, the EESC acknowledges the efforts made by the EC concerning meat product denominations but warns of the risk that certain measures aimed at protecting specific production sectors could have negative effects on other equally essential sectors;
• asks the EC to allow the use of the entire hemp plant, including flowers, and to simplify controls by prioritising administrative checks and reducing on-site inspections. In line with the EESC’s support for effective, proportionate and evidence-based regulation, the Commission is invited to reconsider these amendments and adopt a risk-based approach that allows the use of hemp leaves and straw as feed materials, provided they derive from CAP-compliant varieties (<0.3% THC).