The European Group of Tomato Producers, which includes top exporters from Spain, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland and the UK, has presented the European Commission (EC) with a proposal that it says will guarantee a better tomato export system.
The group, which met in Amsterdam, said the proposal to reform the entry price system for tomato exports in the EU would end the “fraud” that is being produced by the non-payment of customs duty in member countries.
According to Spanish producer-exporter association Fepex, reform of the entry price system is “essential” given that the EC regards these taxes as being practically the only means of guaranteeing preferences for EU-grown tomatoes over foreign imports.
The tomato producers’ summit also called on the EC to reinforce import controls to ensure that non-EU tomato producers comply with current European phytosanitary regulations.
In regard to the current campaign, the group said overall European production and cultivation levels were expected to remain at a similar level to last season.
Spanish exporter association Proexport said although there would be a slight rise in production in Andalusia, a major fall in output was expected in the Canary Islands and smaller production decreases in Valencia and Murcia.
However, overall Spanish production between October and May is forecast to reach 1.6m tonnes, of which some 900,000 tonnes is likely to be exported.
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