It is still unclear as to which countries will be asked to report prices for the SPV replacement system, which is due to be implemented in February 2006.

Under the new system, the European Commission will take price information from only one country per product, with a back-up country specified in case the first member state is not able to provide price information.

It had been thought that the list of countries supplying the price information was finalised but it appears discussions are still ongoing.

The UK had been listed as the first choice country to provide price information for table grapes. Together with DEFRA and HM Revenue & Customs we argued that the UK is generally a more expensive market for grapes than other member states and the information would not be properly representative.

The latest version of the country list shows the UK as the second choice country for reporting data for grapes, so it appears that we have made some progress, but the situation is still subject to change.

At the moment, the UK is listed as the first choice country for supplying price information for onions, sweet potatoes, tangerines and other soft citrus, as well as peaches and nectarines. The UK is listed as the back up country for oranges, clementines, monreales/satsumas, mandarins/wilkings, limes, melons (not water melons), apricots, plums and strawberries.

The products covered by the SPV-replacement system are:

New potatoes, onions, garlic, beans, green asparagus, other asparagus, sweet peppers, pineapples, avocados, sweet oranges, clementines, monreales and satsumas, mandarins and wilkings, tangerines and other soft citrus, white grapefruit, pink grapefruit, limes, table grapes, water melons, melons, pears, apricots, peaches and nectarines, plums, strawberries, raspberries, kiwifruit.

The SPV-replacement system will only be available for customs valuation purposes where no firm price has been agreed.

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