Article 33 Operational programmesE1C1C2C3

Operational programmes in the fruit and vegetables sector shall have a minimum duration of three years and a maximum duration of five years. They shall have at least two of the objectives referred to in point (c) of Article 152(1) or two of the following objectives:

Operational programmes shall be submitted to the F4relevant authority for its approval.

F5Operational programmes for which an extension in line with the maximum duration of five years referred to in the first subparagraph is to be approved after 29 December 2020 may only be extended until 31 December 2022.

By way of derogation from the first subparagraph, new operational programmes that are approved after 29 December 2020 shall have a maximum duration of three years.

Associations of producer organisations may also present an entire or partial operational programme composed of measures identified, but not carried out, by member organisations under their operational programmes. The operational programmes of associations of producer organisations shall be subject to the same rules as operational programmes of producer organisations and shall be considered with the operational programmes of member organisations.

To that end, the F6relevant authority shall ensure that:

Crisis prevention and management referred to in point (f) of the first subparagraph of paragraph 1 shall be related to avoiding and dealing with crises on the fruit and vegetable markets and shall cover in this context:

Support for harvest insurance shall contribute to safeguarding producers' incomes where there are losses as a consequence of natural disasters, adverse climatic events, diseases or pest infestations.

Insurance contracts shall require that beneficiaries undertake necessary risk prevention measures.

Crisis prevention and management measures, including any repayment of capital and interest as referred to in the fifth subparagraph, shall not comprise more than one third of the expenditure under the operational programme.

Producer organisations may take out loans on commercial terms for financing crisis prevention and management measures. In that case, the repayment of the capital and interest on those loans may form part of the operational programme and so may be eligible for F10... financial assistance under Article 34. Any specific action under crisis prevention and management may be financed by such loans or directly, or both.

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F12The relevant authority shall ensure that:

Environmental actions shall respect the requirements for agri-environment-climate or organic farming commitments laid down in Article 28(3) and Article 29(2) and (3) of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013.

Where at least 80 % of the producer members of a producer organisation are subject to one or more identical agri-environment-climate or organic farming commitments provided for in Article 28(3) and Article 29(2) and (3) of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013, each one of those commitments shall count as an environmental action as referred to in point (a) of the first subparagraph of this paragraph.

Support for the environmental actions referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph shall cover additional costs and income foregone resulting from the action.

F13The relevant authority shall ensure that investments which increase environmental pressure shall only be permitted in situations where effective safeguards to protect the environment from these pressures are in place.