Brussels, 27/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - Banana producers in the European Union's outermost regions (OR) will benefit from a one-off payment of €40 million during the financial year 2013 to compensate for the difficulties they face at a time when tariff reductions have recently been introduced on imports from non-EU countries.
On Monday 26 November, EPP MEPs Gabriel Mato Adrover (Spain) and Georgios Papastamkos (Greece), rapporteurs on the new OR and the smaller Aegean islands regulations respectively, set out for the members of the European Parliament agriculture committee the agreement reached with the Council in mid-November on updating the specific measures for OR.
The break-down of the €40 million promised to OR banana producers is as follows: €18.52 million for the French overseas departments, €2.24 million for the Azores and Madeira, and €20.24 million for the Canary Islands.
The total envelope of €653.04 million to offset the difficulties faced by agriculture in the OR as a result of their geographical remoteness has been preserved. The level of financial support for specific supply management and for measures to assist local agricultural products in the outermost regions has been maintained. €278.41 million will go to the French overseas department, the Azores and Madeira will receive €106.21 million, and the Canary Islands will get €268.42. “This agreement is a signal to outermost regions that they are in the heart of our policy even in times when most EU countries are cutting their budgets”, said Mato Adrover. The envelope for the smaller Aegean islands to support local agricultural production to overcome the problems caused by isolation, remoteness, insularity and distance from the market remains the same as the previous year, at €23.93 million.
In negotiations with the Council, Mato Adrover called for the EU to demonstrate greater caution in entering into new trade agreements, the impact of which on agricultural production in the outermost regions should be assessed before any agreement is concluded. He also demanded that all products imported from third countries should carry assurances of veterinary and plant health standards equivalent to those produced in the EU.
The two draft regulations have still to be formally approved by the full European Parliament, probably in February 2013, then by the Council before they can come into force. (EH/transl.fl)