"Egypt is a major threat to the Spanish fruit and vegetable sector"

The importation of fruits and vegetables from Egypt to the European Union is governed, mainly, by the EU-Egypt Association Agreement, in force since 2004, and a specific agreement on agricultural products that came into force in June 2010. The imports of Egyptian fruits and vegetables to Europe include lemons, oranges, mandarins, onions, potatoes, table grapes, etc. According to Juan de Dios Hernández, President of ASAJA Murcia, "the exports of fruits and vegetables from Egypt to the European Union are constantly increasing, and they pose a major phytosanitary risk to our sector, in addition to committing 'social dumping' and unfair competition. Therefore, we demand that the European Union intensify phytosanitary controls on all Egyptian products entering the European area, to prevent the entry of diseases and pests." Moreover, the general secretary of ASAJA Murcia, Alfonso Gálvez Caravaca, has pointed out that "we are concerned about this invasion of Egyptian horticultural ...