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The EU Fee has given a agency rebuttal to makes an attempt by EU potato growers to regain entry to high-quality Scottish seed potatoes, banned in Europe since January 2021 as a consequence of Brexit.
At a particular listening to within the European parliament this week, the European Potato Commerce Affiliation (Europatat) set out its case for a derogation to plant well being laws, to permit a resumption of commerce.
See additionally: Learn how to develop potatoes utilizing minimal tillage
Europatat technical director Romans Vorss stated many companies throughout the EU, together with breeders, merchants and potato growers, have been affected by the deadlock.
“This can hit the Irish business particularly onerous as they rely closely on the import of Scottish seed potatoes of sure varieties which can’t be sourced from wherever else,” he stated.
The Republic of Eire used to take greater than 5,000t a yr of Scotland’s 25-30,000t annual seed potato exports – product that’s valued due to its freedom from ailments discovered elsewhere in Europe.
Europatat due to this fact known as on MEPs and the EU Fee to “break the impasse” and resume the two-way commerce in seed potatoes.
‘Ban should keep’
However the Fee was adamant that the ban ought to keep in place, to maintain potential illness out of the EU.
Meals director Bernard Van Goethem instructed the assembly it was the UK that had chosen to remain out of the one market, somewhat than align itself with the EU’s sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) laws, so the UK was in charge.
The ban was based mostly on “the excessive phytosanitary threat linked to the planting of these potatoes”, he stated. “We contemplate it as one of many extra necessary prohibitions that we have now within the EU.”
Mr Van Goethem pointed to adjustments the UK had made to sure SPS guidelines since Brexit, suggesting this lack of whole alignment justified the ban on UK seed potatoes.
Problem
However this has been challenged by the British Potato Commerce Affiliation, which stated the adjustments to SPS referred to by Mr Van Goethem have been in relation to decorative shrubs and citrus fruits – nothing to do with potatoes.
A spokesman stated the UK and EU continued to function to the identical requirements as one another, so the deadlock was purely political.
Though no vote was taken on the assembly, it was clear from the ground that MEPs are eager for the 2 sides to discover a resolution.
Quite a lot of MEPs, together with from Eire, Belgium and Germany, accused the fee of being “over-zealous”, whereas others identified that, with battle in Ukraine and threats to meals safety, the flexibility to start out utilizing Scottish seed potatoes once more would bolster meals manufacturing.
Irritating
NFU Scotland crops coverage supervisor David Michie stated the Fee’s intransigence was irritating.
“We have been happy to see the broad assist for an answer from each MEPs and the European potato business, however the sticking level is the Fee,” he stated.
“The UK authorities has not helped, with tensions over issues just like the Northern Eire protocol and fishing boats, although we’d hoped with the departure of Lord Frost (as Brexit chief negotiator), issues might need improved.”
Scottish seed potato producers had needed to modify, searching for out new markets additional afield, Mr Michie stated.
This had elevated the extent of threat they confronted. “One cargo of seed potatoes to Egypt needed to be destroyed, as a result of it was delayed and didn’t arrive in time,” he stated.
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