Spanish growers' organisation La Unio-Coag has said that the introduction of the charge in France will seriously affect Spanish competitiveness, and particularly growers in Valencia who transport some 3.5 million tonnes annually over French roads.

'It is not logical that one of the main principles of the EU – freedom of circulation of goods – is called into question by certain member states,' said the Unio-Coag's secretary general Joan Brusca. 'Our natural marketplace is the EU and we are committed to exporting. As a result, we have no other option but to go through France and it should not be possible to impose something like this on us.' The situation is all the more serious with the enlargement of the EU, which should present advantages to Spain in terms of improved export opportunities. But the added costs of going through France could affect its competitiveness alongside exporters from all other Mediterranean basin countries than can access eastern European markets without the need to cross France.

'If it isn't a strike, then it's a toll so that one way or another, our exports are always under threat because we have to go through France,' he concluded.

This stance is backed by the Spanish citrus industry trade body Intercitrus. 'More than 95 per cent of our citrus exports are sent via road and this service has always been carried out impeccably for our trading partners and very successfully on a just-in-time basis so that our products arrive in good condition at their destination markets,' said president José Gascó.

He is calling on the European Commission to act and for exemption for perishable products as rail freight is not an option yet for fresh produce cargo. 'Lorries are indispensable in the transport of perishables,' he concluded.

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