Spanish citrus exporters regret South Africa's unprecedented offensive in the WTO against the EU

Published 2024년 6월 26일

Tridge summary

The Citrus Growers Association of South Africa is currently in dispute with the European Commission over two regulations aimed at protecting European citrus farming from the Thaumatotibia leucotreta pest and the Phyllosticta citricarpa fungus, both of which pose significant risks to citrus fruits. Despite these risks being recognized by multiple scientific bodies, the South African government, backed by Citrus Research International, has questioned the EU's legislation and initiated dispute resolution processes through the World Trade Organization. This conflict underscores the serious concerns about the impact of these pests and fungi on citrus industries, with the potential economic damage to European citrus farming estimated to exceed 1,185 million euros. The ongoing dispute highlights the complex balance between international trade and the protection of agricultural industries from harmful pests and pathogens.

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Original content

A couple of weeks ago, the association of South African exporters and producers (Citrus Growers Association, CGA) warned, in statements to several media outlets, that the process opened by its authorities within the World Trade Organization (WTO) ) against the European Commission (EC) is neither confrontational nor aggressive. They were thus referring to the two calls for consultations with the community executive and the call by the WTO Dispute Settlement Body to question the regulations regarding cold treatment for oranges from countries with 'False moth' (Thaumatotibia leucotreta, approved in 2022) and the most recent - presented in April 2024 - against community regulation to prevent the arrival of Black spot (Phyllosticta citricarpa, whose latest measures, not only for South Africa, were approved in April but in 2022, two years before). Well, despite the fact that there is no known precedent for such a number of actions - because a third call for consultations requested in ...

Source: InfoAgro