Spain calls for a "fast and effective" agreement from Brussels for the cold treatment of imported citrus fruits

Planas will defend the norm this Tuesday at a meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers

BRUSSELS, 23 May. (EUROPE PRESS) -

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, called on the European Commission on Monday for a "quick and effective" agreement to impose the cold treatment of citrus fruits imported from countries such as South Africa to prevent pests from entering the EU. of the false moth, a step that was frustrated the previous week by the reservations of some partners.

"We want it to be adopted soon and for it to be an effective decision," Planas said in statements to the press in Brussels after a meeting that the minister defined as "positive" with the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakide, whom You have asked me to unblock this matter.

Since last year, Spain, along with other producing countries, have been demanding a regulation at the community level that requires the cold treatment of oranges and other citrus fruits imported from non-community countries to combat the spread of new pests that damage crops in the EU.

The Government expected an agreement last week in a technical committee within the European Commission but the necessary consensus for the adoption of this new standard did not occur, something that Planas has attributed to "multiple circumstances", including the role of "parties interested and intense pressure", and for what has transferred the "displeasure" of Spain to the commissioner.

Thus, the Minister of Agriculture has relied on the "independence" of the Community Executive so that it "exercises its powers" in terms of protecting European producers and acts to carry out the measure even "this week".

Plana explained that the Ministry's services are working with community experts to advance the conditions of the technical standard, which, however, he did not want to detail while waiting to consolidate the necessary support for its adoption at the community level.

In any case, the minister has announced that on Tuesday he will introduce this matter at the meeting of European Union Agriculture Ministers that will be held in Brussels, with the aim of defending the need to take this measure to protect European citrus producers. and explain to the rest of the partners the "importance, not only for Spain, but for European plant health and the health of plants and productions" of the EU.