Feasibility Study for the Setting up of a European Platform for data and Information Exchange for the Fruit and Vegetable Market

This study is a feasibility analysis of a European platform for data and information exchange for the European fruit and vegetable market. A platform model has been elaborated by analysing the functioning of the statistic and information systems of five organisations: one producer organisation (PO), two associations of producer organisations (APOs), and two inter-branch organisations (IBOs) operating in the fruit and vegetable industry of five EU Member States (Belgium, France, Hungary, Italy, and Spain). Then, the feasibility and the economic sustainability of the model have been assessed by taking into account technical, legal and financial criteria. The feasibility of the platform has to cope with two main issues: the implementation costs and the role of public institutions. The role and responsibility of the actors involved (whether public and/or private) has been analysed according to a conceptual framework. The analysis shows that the platform effectiveness could be strengthened by a synergism between the public and the private institutions. A common project can be developed on the basis of common interests in the development of an effective and reliable information system, operating in the fruit and vegetable industry. The release of incentives in favour of the platform partners is compatible with the role of the public institutions in this initiative, considering that incentives are not only of monetary kind, but may also be of an organisational nature. From this perspective, an implementation strategy is proposed.