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1. Traditional ACP suppliers shall be eligible for technical and financial assistance.

2. Technical and financial assistance shall be granted at the request of the ACP to contribute to the implementation of programmes aiming:

(a) to improve competitiveness in the banana sector, in particular through:

— increasing productivity, without causing damage to the environment,

— improving quality, including phytosanitary measures,

— adapting production, distribution or marketing methods to meet the quality standards provided for in Article 2 of Regulation (EEC) No 404/93,

— establishing producers' organisations which have as their objective the improvement of the marketing and competitiveness of their products and the development of systems of certifying environment-friendly production methods, including fair-trade bananas,

— developing a production and/or marketing strategy to meet the requirements of the market in the light of the Community's common organisation of the market in bananas,

— assisting with training, market intelligence, the development of environment-friendly production methods including fair-trade bananas, improving the distribution infrastructure and improving commercial and financial services to banana producers;

(b) to support diversification where improvement in the competitiveness of the banana sector is not sustainable.