Operational programme advice for Producer Organisations

A new handbook report is available in all official EU languages providing useful information about establishing an operational programme (OP) for Producer Organisations (PO). The report features topics such as eligibility criteria for POs and their OPs, as well as the new sectoral scope of OPs. A range of good practice advice covers both crops and livestock including technical OP topics like governance, management tools, quality and communication.

The handbook’s introduction provides context explaining that the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) recognises the need to strengthen farmers’ bargaining power through collective action, which can improve market efficiency. This can be accomplished by encouraging greater farmer cooperation and facilitating economies of scale to increase productivity and competitiveness. POs and Associations of POs (APOs) are recognised entities that promote farmer cooperation.

Previously, OPs were only available in the fruit and vegetables, hop and olive (table and oil) sectors, but they are now available for other agricultural sectors under the CAP 2023-2027. The EU co-finances OPs, which are used to support actions and investments (known as interventions) that improve farmers’ position in the supply chain by increasing competitiveness and sustainability.