ACP bananas producers not to be pushed over edge, says MEP
A renewed challenge by Ecuador in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over the European Union’s (EU) €176 per tonne import duty on bananas from Latin America — challenging the duty-free entry of ACP exporters — has met stiff opposition in ACP circles.
© IRIN / Manoocher Deghati
Under the Cotonou Agreement, set quotas of bananas from ACP nations enter the EU market duty-free. Under free trade plans, these quotas will be abolished from 1 January 2008 allowing all ACP banana exporters quota and duty-free access to the EU market.
“They (ACPs) are small players that pose no threat to a country that dominates the world and European markets. The EU must fight on in the WTO to ensure that small, vulnerable banana producers are not pushed over the edge,” said co-President of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, Glenys Kinnock, at the June JPA meeting in Wiesbaden, Germany.
A joint statement from three ACP banana export bodies — CBEA, OCAB and ASSOBACAM* — said of the Ecuador move: “The objective is to elminate the production of ACP countries, which however represent only 19% of the European market, whereas exports of Latin American countries amount to 68% of the EU market.”
*Caribbean Banana Exporters Association (CBEA)
Gem.cbea@btinternet.com
Cameroon Bananas Growers’ Association (Assobacam)
Banacam.assobacam@wanadoo.fr
Central Organisation for Pineapple and Banana Producers-Exporters of Côte d’Ivoire (OCAB)
ocab@wanadoo.fr
