The European Association of Banana Producers (APEB) is set to meet with the European Commission this Wednesday (8 July) in a bid to persuade the continent’s decision makers of the need to maintain the current preferential import regime for African, Caribbean and Pacific fruit.
The organisation, which represents growers in European territories such as the Canary Islands, Madeira, Guadaloupe and Martinique, will attempt to persuade the authorities of the economic and social importance of the system to these areas.
In a statement, APEB said that several “experts” would detail to the Commission officials the development of the European banana sector since its integration into the European Common Market Organisation in 1993.
Through this, APEB said, the group would aim to “demonstrate the good use” that the sector has made of community support and “the need to maintain this in the future”.
A sizeable APEB delegation to the meeting will include representatives from investigative and technical departments – in the case of the Canary Islands, these will comprise members of the quality department of Canarian banana association Asprocan.
The European Commission’s side will be headed by Lars Hoelgaard, deputy director general of the organisation’s Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development, while representatives of the Canary Islands’ government will also be present.
The European Union is currently negotiating with Latin American nations over areduction in banana import tariffs, with the bloc proposing cuts fromthe current mark of €176 per tonne to €114 per tonne by 2016.
However, African, Caribbean and Pacific countries have argued that a lower tariff wouldseverely hit their own exports, which have enjoyed duty-free access formany years.
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