PART IIINTERNAL MARKET

TITLE IIRULES CONCERNING MARKETING AND PRODUCER ORGANISATIONS

CHAPTER IRules concerning marketing

Section 1Marketing standards

Subsection 2Marketing standards by sectors or products

Article 75Establishment and content

1

Marketing standards may apply to one or more of the following sectors and products:

a

olive oil and table olives;

b

fruit and vegetables;

c

processed fruit and vegetable products;

d

bananas;

e

live plants;

f

eggs;

g

poultrymeat;

h

spreadable fats intended for human consumption;

i

hops.

2

In order to take into account the expectations of consumers and to improve the economic conditions for the production and marketing as well as the quality of the agricultural products covered by paragraphs 1 and 4 of this Article, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 227 on marketing standards by sectors or products, at all stages of the marketing, as well as derogations and exemptions from such standards in order to adapt to constantly changing market conditions, to evolving consumer demands, to developments in relevant international standards and to avoid creating obstacles to product innovation.

3

Without prejudice to Article 26 of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council29, the marketing standards referred to in paragraph 1 may cover one or more of the following, to be determined on a sectoral or product basis and based on the characteristics of each sector, the need to regulate the placing on the market and the conditions defined in paragraph 5 of this Article:

a

the technical definitions, designation and sales descriptions for sectors other than those set out in Article 78;

b

classification criteria such as grading into classes, weight, sizing, age and category;

c

the species, plant variety or animal race or the commercial type;

d

the presentation, labelling linked to obligatory marketing standards, packaging, rules to be applied in relation to packing centres, marking, year of harvesting and use of specific terms, without prejudice to Articles 92 to 123;

e

criteria such as appearance, consistency, conformation, product characteristics and the percentage of water content;

f

specific substances used in production, or components or constituents, including their quantitative content, purity and identification;

g

the type of farming and production method including oenological practices and advanced systems of sustainable production;

h

coupage of must and wine including definitions thereof, blending and restrictions thereof;

i

the frequency of collection, delivery, preservation and handling, the conservation method and temperature, storage and transport;

j

the place of farming and/or origin, excluding poultrymeat and spreadable fats;

k

restrictions as regards the use of certain substances and practices;

l

specific use;

m

the conditions governing the disposal, the holding, circulation and use of products not in conformity with the marketing standards adopted pursuant to paragraph 1 or with the definitions, designations and sales descriptions as referred to in Article 78, as well as the disposal of by-products.

4

In addition to paragraph 1, marketing standards may apply to the wine sector. Points (f), (g), (h), (k) and (m) of paragraph 3 shall apply to that sector.

5

The marketing standards by sectors or products adopted pursuant to paragraph 1 of this Article shall be established without prejudice to Articles 84 to 88 and Annex IX and shall take into account:

a

the specific characteristics of the product concerned;

b

the need to ensure the conditions to facilitate the placing of the products on the market;

c

the interest of producers to communicate the product and farming characteristics, and the interest of consumers to receive adequate and transparent product information, including the place of farming to be determined on a case-by-case basis at the appropriate geographical level, after conducting an evaluation, in particular, of the costs and administrative burdens for operators and the benefits offered to producers and the end consumer;

d

the methods available for determining physical, chemical and organoleptic characteristics of the products;

e

the standard recommendations adopted by international bodies;

f

the need to preserve the natural and essential characteristics of products and to avoid causing a substantial change in the composition of the product concerned.

6

In order to take into account the expectations of consumers and the need to improve the quality and the economic conditions for the production and marketing of agricultural products, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 227 to modify the list of sectors in paragraph 1. Such delegated acts shall be strictly limited to demonstrated needs resulting from evolving consumer demand, technical progress or the need for product innovation, and shall be subject to a Commission report to the European Parliament and to the Council evaluating, in particular, the needs of the consumer, the costs and administrative burdens for operators, including the impact on the internal market and on international trade, and the benefits offered to producers and to the end consumer.