The UK-based Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) has said that its successful lobbying has helped secure the immediate lifting of what it has called 'unnecessary' controls for bananas from the Dominican Republic.
A recent review of Annex 1-listed productsunder EC regulation 669/2009 saw the Commission agree to de-list the bananas from 1 October this year, a move that the FPC said should bebrought forward.
'Banana importers would have been charged £30,000-£40,000 (€36,000-€48,000) for checks over the next few months even though their products were perfectly safe for consumers,' said Nigel Jenney, chief executive of the FPC. 'We are delighted that the authorities have taken heed of our arguments.
'These ridiculous controls on bananas from the Dominican Republic have cost five UK importers around £50,000 (€60,000) since January 2010,' he added. 'It would be great to see the FSA or the Commission reimburse these importers for the impact of their previously ill-thought out regulation and its application.'
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