Although special plant-health controls on Argentinean citrus entering the EU have been lifted, the country’s citrus federation is up in arms at the invocation of the safeguard clause triggering higher tariff levels on lemons.
“The Argentinean state should intervene,” a spokesman for the federation said. “After several days of rain and intense cold, the weather has improved and exports have started to normalise, but gas and electricity outages are harming businesses.
“But the EU raising the tariffs only benefits Spanish producers who can sell their lemons on a clear market and the stevedores who can charge good money for storing fruit that cannot be marketed.”
The controls were brought in during 2004 to prevent the entry of fuscous blight and black spot.
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