Commission Regulation (EC) No 1580/2007 (repealed)Show full title

Section 2 U.K. Requirements applicable to producer organisations

Article 22 U.K. Product coverage

1. Member States shall recognise producer organisations under Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1182/2007 in respect of the product or the group of products specified in the application for recognition, subject to any decision taken under Article 4(1)(c) of that Regulation.

2. Member States shall only recognise producer organisations in respect of products solely intended for processing where they are able to ensure that such products are delivered for processing, whether through a system of supply contracts or otherwise.

Article 23 U.K. Minimum number of members

In laying down the minimum number of members of a producer organisation pursuant to Article 4(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1182/2007, Member States may provide that where an applicant for recognition is wholly or partly made up of members which are themselves legal entities or clearly defined parts of legal entities made up of producers, the minimum number of producers may be calculated on the basis of the number of producers associated with each of the legal entities or clearly defined parts of legal entities.

Article 24 U.K. Minimum length of membership

1. The minimum membership period of a producer shall not be less than one year.

2. Resignation from membership shall be notified to the organisation in writing. The Member States shall lay down the notice periods, which shall not exceed six months, and the dates on which resignation shall take effect.

Article 25 U.K. Structures and activities of producer organisations

Member States shall ensure that producer organisations have at their disposal the staff, infrastructure and equipment necessary to fulfil the requirements laid down in Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1182/2007 and ensure their essential functioning, in particular as regards:

(a)

the knowledge of their members’ production;

(b)

collecting, sorting, storing and packaging the production of their members;

(c)

commercial and budgetary management; and

(d)

centralised bookkeeping and a system of invoicing.

Article 26 U.K. Value or volume of marketable production

For the purposes of Article 4(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1182/2007, the value or volume of marketable production shall be calculated on the same basis as the value of marketed production set out in Articles 52 and 53 of this Regulation.

Article 27 U.K. Provision of technical means

For the purposes of Article 4(1)(e) of Regulation (EC) No 1182/2007, a producer organisation which is recognised for a product for which the provision of technical means is necessary shall be considered to fulfil its obligation where it provides an adequate level of technical means itself or through its members, or through subsidiaries, or by outsourcing.

Article 28 U.K. Producer organisations’ main activities

1. The main activity of a producer organisation shall relate to the concentration of supply and the placing on the market of the products of its members for which it is recognised.

2. The value of the marketed production of the producer organisation's own members and of members of other producer organisations that it sells, shall be more than the value of all the other marketed production which it sells.

This calculation shall be based only on products for which the producer organisation is recognised.

3. Where Article 52(7) applies, paragraph 2 of this Article shall apply mutatis mutandis to the subsidiaries concerned from 1 January 2012.

Article 29 U.K. Outsourcing

Outsourcing of an activity of a producer organisation shall mean that the producer organisation enters into a commercial arrangement with another entity, including one of its members or a subsidiary, for the provision of the activity concerned. The producer organisation shall nevertheless remain responsible for ensuring the carrying out of that activity, and overall management control and supervision of commercial arrangement for the provision of the activity.

The first paragraph shall apply mutatis mutandis where an association of producer organisations outsources an activity.

Article 30 U.K. Transnational producer organisations

1. A transnational producer organisation's head office shall be established in the Member State where the organisation has significant holdings or a significant number of members and/or achieves an important level of marketed production.

2. The Member State in which the head office of the transnational producer organisation is located shall be responsible for the following:

(a) recognising the transnational producer organisation;

(b) approving the transnational producer organisation's operational programme;

(c) establishing the necessary administrative collaboration with the other Member States in which the members are located with respect to compliance with the terms of recognition and the system of checks and sanctions. Those other Member States shall be obliged to give all necessary assistance to the Member State in which the head office is located; and

(d) providing, on request of other Member States, all relevant documentation, including any applicable legislation available to the other Member States in which the members are located, translated into an official language of the requesting Member States.

Article 31 U.K. Mergers of producer organisations

1. Where producer organisations with previously different operational programmes have merged, they may operate the programmes in parallel and separately until 1 January of the year following the merger. In such cases, the producer organisations concerned shall request the merger of the operational programmes by means of an amendment in accordance with the provisions of Article 66. Otherwise, the producer organisations concerned shall request forthwith the merger of the operational programmes by means of an amendment in accordance with the provisions of Article 67.

2. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, Member States may authorise producer organisations which so request, for duly substantiated reasons, to implement separate operational programmes in parallel until they reach their natural conclusion.

Article 32 U.K. Non-producer members

1. Member States may determine whether and on what conditions any individual or legal person who is not a producer may be accepted as a member of a producer organisation.

2. When setting the conditions referred to in paragraph 1, the Member States shall ensure, in particular, compliance with paragraphs 1(a) and 4(c) of Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 1182/2007.

3. The natural or legal persons referred to in paragraph 1 shall not:

(a) be taken into account for the recognition criteria;

(b) benefit directly from the measures financed by the Community.

Member States may restrict or prohibit their right to vote on decisions relating to operational funds, in line with the conditions laid down in paragraph 2.

Article 33 U.K. Democratic accountability of producer organisations

Member States shall take all measures they consider to be necessary in order to avoid any abuse of power or influence by one or more members over the management and operation of a producer organisation, which shall include voting rights.