Brussels, 08/05/2002 (Agence Europe) - As reported on p.14 of EUROPE of 6/7 May, the European Commission has formally approved a proposal to further liberalise agricultural trade with Latvia in the framework of the "double profit" agreements. Once adopted by the Council, the proposal will come into force on 1 July.
As with other countries (Estonia and Hungary) where negotiations have already been concluded, the agreement with Latvia foresees total liberalisation of most ad valorem duties (fruit and vegetables, juice, lamb, molasses etc) and the removal of expert refunds and the elimination within tariff quotas of import duties on cereals, beef, dairy products and eggs. Latvia will also benefit from zero duty on exports to the EU between July 2002 and June 2003 on 26000 tonnes of wheat; 9000 tonnes of flour and hulled wheat, 3750 tonnes of rye; 1250 tonnes of hulled rye and rye flour; 7500 tonnes of seed barley; 2500 tonnes of barley flour and grains; 2250 tonnes of oats; 750 tonnes of oat flakes and oat flour; 900 tonnes of other cereal grains; 500 tonnes of potato starch; 675 tonnes of beef; 1500 tonnes of pork; 755 tonnes of poultry; 5000 tonnes of cheese; 3800 tonnes of concentrated milk; 200 tonnes of milk; 2255 tonnes of butter; 100 tonnes of yoghurt; 550 tonnes of cabbage; 500 tonnes of cucumber; 250 tonnes of fresh tomatoes; 250 tonnes of apples; 2000 tonnes of apple juice; 180 tonnes of processed pork products and 120 tonnes of processed poultry products.
Latvia will also be able to export unlimited amounts of lamb, table grapes, pears (from 1 August to 31 December), cherries, prunes, strawberries (from 1 August to 14 June), raspberries, gooseberries, blackberries and molasses. A 20% import duty will apply (under the duty applicable to the most favoured nation) to an 331 000 heads of livestock import quota open to all Central and Eastern Europe candidate countries apart from Slovenia.