The Association of European Banana Producers (APEB) has claimed that a proposed new free trade treaty between the European Union and Latin America, which would feature a reduction in Europe’s banana import tariff, could threaten the livelihoods of 9,000 producers in the Canary Islands.
The Spanish government, which takes over the presidency of the European Union next year, has proposed to sign a new free trade deal with Latin America in May 2010, which APEB says would include a major lowering of the current tariff level.
According to APEB president Leopoldo Cologán, the agreement would feature a reduction of the current tariff level of €176 per tonne to as low as €95 per tonne.
Mr Cologán insisted Canaries’ banana sector had “nothing against Latin Americans”, but claimed that APEB was against Spain putting in place an agreement “for the benefit of big multinational companies at the expense of around 9,000 producers in the Canaries”.
The association has urged the EU to adopt the agreement proposed by the European Commission last February, which would see the tariff reduced to €148 per tonne by January and €136 by 2012, with further reductions possible over a 10 year period.
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