Tejerina says the TTIP will benefit economically to Spain and will create jobs
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Isabel García Tejerina, has expressed his conviction that the Transatlantic Trade Agreement and Investment (TTIP) between the European Union and the United States will bring benefits for the Spanish economy and will be a source of job creation.
García Tejerina, who has made these statements during the conference “United States, a competitive opportunity for Castilla y Leon”, held on June 5th in Valladolid, said that that treaty will promote economic growth on both sides of the Atlantic .
At the aforementioned symposium was attended, among others, by the president of the Junta de Castilla y León, Juan Vicente Herrera; President of the Board of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce USA, Donald J. Salazar; the president of the United States Chamber of Commerce in Spain, Jaime Malet; the government delegate in Castilla y León, María José Salgueiro; and the CEO of Spain Duero, Maria Luisa Lombardero.
The Minister stressed that the whole of the Spanish food industry has products highly valued and appreciated quality in the United States, whose presence can be increased in this market, especially if the Transatlantic Trade Agreement and Investment (TTIP) is set.
Among the opportunities that this agreement would have for the Spanish agri-food sector it has indicated the removal of tariffs and regulatory aspects that affect positive way to trade. Therefore, the minister said that Spain will support this agreement provided it includes all aspects of the negotiations: market access and harmonization of regulations and standards.
In any case, García Tejerina has stressed that support will be provided if level of assurance that consumers today have about European products is maintained. To this end, the European Commission has the mandate of the Member States od defend and guarantee the European agricultural model, which reflects the highest standards of quality in the world in food safety, animal and environmental welfare. In this regard, the minister said that the protection of designations of origin should be guaranteed.
Support for the agri-food sector
In her speech, García Tejerina has highlighted the work that the Government has been making over the past four years to promote the transformation of the Spanish food sector, of great social and economic importance and accounts for about 9% of GDP in Spain and employs 2.5 million people, including transportation and distribution.
Specifically, García Tejerina has detailed the actions have focused on ensuring the stability of farm incomes in the next seven years, encourage cooperative integration and promote measures to improve the functioning of the food chain. Also, it has worked in the field of innovation and internationalization.
In the context of the Spanish agri-food exports, which in 2015 generated more than 44,000 million euros, García Tejerina has stressed the importance of the US market, which represents 15% of Spanish exports outside the EU, a value of 1,631 million euros in 2015. This amount represents an increase of over 17% over the previous year, higher than the average growth of total exports (7.5%) and even export to third countries ( 10.9%).
García Tejerina considers that Spain still has ample room for further progress in foreign markets, largely due to factors such as the Mediterranean Diet. Indeed, the food guide “Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” includes numerous references to the Mediterranean Diet as feed example to follow.
In addition, Spain has food from organic farming or animals raised under traditional methods, that cater to the growing demand for food chains and American restoration.
Source: MAGRAMA
