The European Commission is said to have concluded the safeguard probe opened in March on rice imported duty-free from Cambodia and Myanmar in the context of the EU’s generalised system of preferences. It is planning to restore customs duties on these products for three years.
“This is an important result which recognises the economic damage done to our countries by such imports”, said Gian Marco Centinaio, Italian Agriculture Minister, speaking on 6 November.
The probe was launched at a request from Italy, which says that rice imports from Cambodia and Myanmar have increased to such an extent that their Community market shares have grown from 13% to 21% and from 0% to 5% respectively, over the last five harvest years.
Early October, Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström had announced that Cambodia was on the point of losing free access by its exports to the EU market. Such access was enjoyed under the “Everything But Arms” initiative. The same is said to be true for Myanmar. Reasons given for this were: the “clear deterioration of human rights and labour rights” in Cambodia and the situation of the Rohingya minority in Burma.
Members of the European Parliament committee on agriculture will take stock of the imported rice issue at their meeting in Strasbourg on Monday 12 November. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)