1. Member States may, on request, recognise producer organisations, which:
(a)
are constituted, and controlled in accordance with point (c) of Article 153(2), by producers in a specific sector listed in Article 1(2);
(b)
are formed on the initiative of the producers;
(c)
pursue a specific aim which may include at least one of the following objectives:
(i)
ensuring that production is planned and adjusted to demand, particularly in terms of quality and quantity;
(ii)
concentration of supply and the placing on the market of the products produced by its members, including through direct marketing;
(iii)
optimising production costs and returns on investments in response to environmental and animal welfare standards, and stabilising producer prices;
(iv)
carrying out research and developing initiatives on sustainable production methods, innovative practices, economic competitiveness and market developments;
(v)
promoting, and providing technical assistance for, the use of environmentally sound cultivation practices and production techniques, and sound animal welfare practices and techniques;
(vi)
promoting, and providing technical assistance for, the use of production standards, improving product quality and developing products with a protected designation of origin, with a protected geographical indication or covered by a national quality label;
(vii)
the management of by-products and of waste in particular to protect the quality of water, soil and landscape and preserving or encouraging biodiversity;
(viii)
contributing to a sustainable use of natural resources and to climate change mitigation;
(ix)
developing initiatives in the area of promotion and marketing;
(x)
managing of the mutual funds referred to in operational programmes in the fruit and vegetables sector referred to in Article 31(2) of this Regulation and under Article 36 of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013
(xi)
providing the necessary technical assistance for the use of the futures markets and of insurance schemes.
2. A producer organisation recognised under paragraph 1 may continue to be recognised if it engages in the marketing of products falling within CN code ex 2208 other than those referred to in Annex I to the Treaties, provided that the proportion of such products does not exceed 49 % of the total value of marketed production of the producer organisation and that such products do not benefit from Union support. Those products do not count, for producer organisations in the fruit and vegetables sector, towards the calculation of the value of marketed production for the purposes of Article 34(2).
3. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, Member States shall recognise producer organisations, constituted by producers in the milk and milk products sector, which:
(a)
are formed on the initiative of the producers;
(b)
pursue a specific aim which may include one or more of the following objectives:
(i)
ensuring that production is planned and adjusted to demand, particularly in terms of quality and quantity;
(ii)
concentration of supply and the placing on the market of the products produced by its members;
(iii)
optimising production costs and stabilising producer prices.