On Monday 16 December, the French and Spanish Agriculture Ministers will raise concerns at the Agriculture Council about US tariffs on EU agricultural products.
In addition to the 25% customs duties on certain products applied under the framework of the Airbus trade dispute, on 6 December, the United States published a new document in which it proposed a possible revision of the list and amounts of tariffs already imposed under the aviation dispute procedure, explains the document from the countries, as seen by EUROPE (see EUROPE 12385/3).
Paris and Madrid are urging the European Commission to act strongly in the search for negotiated solutions and to intensify actions that will promote stable and rules-based international trade.
Exceptional support. France and Spain welcome the initiatives taken in relation to the olive oil sector (private storage aid) and wine sector (increased funding for promotional measures).
“However, these measures are yet insufficient. We believe it is necessary to provide additional funds and to activate all instruments of the single CMO for all the sectors that are affected”, state the countries.
Particularly, the amount of private storage aid for the olive oil sector needs to be increased, while the wine sector and table olives need “exceptional support” from the EU that could take the form of a compensation fund. “The small cheese manufacturing industries with geographical indications”, which have one of their main customers on the US market, must also not be forgotten, both countries argue.
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) must respond to these challenges arising from global trade uncertainty. “We must also reflect on whether the instruments available to the CAP are designed to respond to the new challenges of global markets and their uncertainties”, writes France and Spain.
Both countries wish to take advantage of the debates surrounding the post-2020 CAP to put in place essential tools (market measures) within the current global context. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)