The result of recent negotiations between the European Commission and Israel concerning further liberalisation of agricultural trade has been described by officials in Brussels as “a major step forward in the integration of the EU and Israeli markets”.
A preliminary agreement has been reached that will be 'beneficial to both sides', according to the European Commission.
For sensitive agricultural products such as fruit and vegetables, both sides will gain better market access through the increase of existing duty-free quotas, the extension of existing calendars and the creation of new tariff quotas.
Products including lemons, oranges, mandarins, grapes, melons, kiwifruit, apricots, cherries, peaches and olives are all subject to improved market access.
In what has been described as a “balanced” deal, both EU and Israeli exporters will benefit from new trade opportunities and better market access for a broad range of products.
