Strengthening of the position of farmers in the food supply chain

It affects farmers, producer organisations, and associations of producer organisations selling agricultural products or milk. It also affects processors, distributors, retailers, and buyers who contract with them.

• Requires written contracts for most agricultural deliveries, with minimum price and supply details.
• Lets farmers ask for contract revisions after six months and use mediation when talks fail.
• Simplifies producer organisation recognition and lets recognised groups negotiate more broadly.
• Adds rules for ‘fair’, ‘equitable’, and ‘short supply chain’ claims, plus extra CAP support measures.

Takes effect

It enters into force on the twentieth day after publication, with some rules applying 18 months later and others after two years.

Transitional law

Rules on ‘fair’, ‘equitable’, and ‘short supply chain’ terms apply after two years; written-contract rules apply after 18 months.

• Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 (32013R1308)
  • art. 88a: inserts new Article 88a on optional terms for commercial modalities
  • art. 148: replaces Article 148 on contractual relations in the milk and milk products sector
  • art. 152(1): amends producer organisation definition, initiative, and activities
  • art. 152(1a): extends derogation to non-recognised producer organisations and their contract negotiations
  • art. 152(1b): adds conditions for associations of producer organisations to negotiate contracts
  • art. 153(2)(c): replaces democratic control rule for producer organisation statutes
  • art. 153(2a): replaces rule on members' direct contact with purchasers
  • art. 153(3): exempts milk and milk products producer organisations from paragraphs 1 and 2
  • art. 157(1)(c): adds promoting optional terms to interbranch organisation objectives
  • art. 168: replaces Article 168 on contractual relations for agricultural products
  • art. 210a(3): adds sustainability objectives for certain agreements
  • art. 210a(6): extends Commission opinions to new sustainability objectives
  • art. 222(1): replaces severe-imbalance derogation and adds agricultural reserve support
  • art. Annex X, Point I(1): requires written beet delivery contracts in advance
  • art. Annex X, Point I(2): adds revision clause for longer sugar beet contracts
  • art. Annex X, Point II(2): adds pricing factors and objective indicators for sugar beet contracts
  • art. Annex X, Point III: adds force majeure rules for beet delivery contracts
  • art. Annex X, Point IXa: allows Member States to require registration of beet delivery contracts
• Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 (32021R2115)
  • art. 52(3): adds fruit and vegetable organisation threshold condition
  • art. 52(5a): increases support for young and new farmers' investments
  • art. 52(7): raises support to 70% for programmes hit by adverse events
  • art. 68(2a): applies Article 52 amendments mutatis mutandis
  • art. 88(7): allows use of up to 6% of direct payments for other sectors
• Regulation (EU) 2021/2116 (32021R2116)
  • art. 16(1) second subparagraph point (b): extends agricultural reserve to exceptional measures under Article 222 of Regulation 1308/2013