Freshuelva has revealed its uncertainty regarding the negotiations that are being carried out between the European Commission and the United Kingdom to establish the commercial conditions that will govern exports once Brexit in this area becomes effective on December 31.

Freshuelva's uncertainty regarding the future of berry exports to the United Kingdom is shared by other European fruit and vegetable producers, and this has been conveyed by the European Association for the Fruit and Vegetable Trade of the EU, FruitvegetablesEUROPE (Eucofel), from which is part of Freshuelva, to the head of the negotiations of the European Commission with the United Kingdom, Michel Barnier.

Eucofel has sent a letter to Michel Barnier, as well as to the Commissioner for Traders, Valdis Dombrovskis, and to the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Janusz Wojciechowski, in which he reiterates the deep concerns of EU fruit and vegetable producers regarding negotiations for a future Trade Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom, and in particular, given the impact of the United Kingdom's import tariffs. will have on the European producer and exporter sector of fruit and vegetables.

If the negotiations that are being carried out for the United Kingdom's exit from the customs union and the EU single market, in which it remains during this transition period, do not come to fruition, tariffs close to 11 will become effective. % in strawberries and 9% for raspberries, blueberries and blackberries by the United Kingdom, which would cause a serious damage in marketing with a country that is one of the main importers of Huelva berries.

In the letter, Eucofel considers that imposing tariffs on EU fruit and vegetables would have a “catastrophic” impact on the EU export sector, as the UK is the third largest destination for EU exports, after Germany. and France. In addition, EU exporters will have to compete with third countries that are exempt from this tariff rate (competitors from the Mediterranean and the southern hemisphere already have preferential agreements signed with a 0% tariff rate), despite the fact that they “do not comply with high quality, social, environmental and phytosanitary standards of the EU ”.

The European association recalls that EU producers and exporters have been opening and consolidating the market for years premium from the UK oriented towards high quality products where taste, freshness and safety are the main requirements and, unfortunately, “there is no market premium alternative for EU production, while the Russian market is still closed ”.

After reiterating that the future trade relationship between the EU and the UK is "crucial" for the EU fruit and vegetables sector, Eucofel has called on the EU "not to sacrifice the EU agricultural sector in negotiations with the United Kingdom ”, warning that“ it is imperative and urgent that the EU take into account equally all the productive sectors of the European Union: agriculture, industry and services ”.

In this sense, the European Association for the Trade of Fruits and Vegetables of the EU asks the European Commission to negotiate "actively" to reach an agreement on the maintenance of a free trade area with customs and regulatory cooperation and the absence of tariffs. for EU fruits and vegetables, proposing that, “in the event that an agreement is not reached before December 31, 2020, a moratorium on the application of tariffs for EU fruits and vegetables be applied”.

Both Freshuelva and Eucofel also urge the implementation of rapid procedures so that import documents can be processed in real time, which "will allow to maintain the flow of exports of fresh fruit and vegetables from the EU to the United Kingdom and will avoid uncertainty and market speculation ”.