The International Trade Committee has approved measures designed to protect vulnerable EU banana producers in forthcoming trade deals with Central and South America.
Trade agreements between the EU and Central America, as well as with Peru and Colombia, are expected to lead to a rise in EU imports from these countries, and steps are believed to be necessary to help EU producers to adapt.
The safeguards would allow the EU to increase customs duties, or decline to lower them, should a surge in EU imports begin to harm the interests of EU producers based on islands such as the Canaries and Guadeloupe and Martinique.
The European Commission foresees the use of 'stabilisation mechanisms for bananas', allowing it to suspend preferential customs duties for up to three months should banana imports surpass a certain volume.
