European producers mobilize in defense of EU agriculture
FruitVegetablesEUROPE (EUCOFEL) has held a meeting in Brussels between the European and national associations of the agricultural sector that share the same problem at the community level and have shown their deep concern about the direction that European trade policy is taking.
Therefore, they have decided to create the “Alliance for the Defense of European Agriculture” (ADEA). It is a pro-European entity and requests the support of the new members of the European Parliament to defend and promote European farmers and products, and to ensure a level playing field in trade agreements with third countries.
“The Alliance wants a greater determination of the EU institutions to insist that all imports of agri-food products meet exactly the same standards imposed on European producers,” says the president of FruitVegetablesEUROPE, Juan Marín.
In addition to these food safety requirements, it is necessary to pay more attention to environmental and social sustainability criteria when negotiating trade agreements with third countries.
The Alliance has collectively claimed at its foundation that “European agriculture is not a currency of change in trade agreements with third countries; imported products respect the same production standards as those imposed on European producers, both in conventional and organic agriculture; European consumers have access to transparent information on the differences between EU production models and those of third countries, which allow them to understand and support the social and cultural aspects of EU agriculture “.
The Alliance is open to all sectors willing to defend EU agriculture and, at its founding, is composed of the following organizations: FruitVegetablesEUROPE (EUCOFEL), FEPEX (Spanish Federation of Associations of Producers-Exporters of Fruits, Vegetables, Flowers and Live Plants), CGC (Citrus Management Committee-Spain), APROA (Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producers’ Organizations of Andalusia-Spain), UGPBAN (Association of the Banana Sector of France), ASPROCAN (Association of Organizations of Producers of Bananas of the Canary Islands-Spain), GESBA (Banana Sector of Portugal), APEB (European Banana Association), ANPCA (A National Association of Garlic Producers and Marketers), KZGPOiW (National Federation of Associations of Producers of Producers of Fruits and Vegetables of Poland), AOPn (Association of Tomato and Cucumber of France), INCOFRUIT Hellas (Greece), The Irish Cattle and Sheep Association (Ireland), The European Sugar Manufacturer’s Association (EU), The European Beet Growers (EU).
