Free EU market access from September

Several food and beverage items may be exported to the EU without paying duties as from September, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs and the Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment said yesterday.

They were replying to complaints by the Federation of Industry (FOI) about delays in free market access for such products. The FOI also complained that the government seemed to be losing momentum and had stopped using the consultation mechanism in relation to the financial package it obtained from the EU.

The ministries said they had always maintained good contact with FOI officials over the implemention of measures negotiated with the European Union.

Referring to the opening of the EU market for various food and beverage items, the ministries said that as a result of negotiations with the EU a number of locally manufactured products would be able to reach the EU market without any payment of duties, even before membership.

This was made possible following open and positive consultation with the FOI and the Chamber of Commerce. It was expected that this arrangement would come into force in September.

The ministries said that with regard to the method being proposed by the government to operate the monitoring system for the use of the "safeguard clause", a meeting was to be held with a consultant engaged by the FOI.

They added that the FOI had been informed that the government had engaged Italian experts, who, aided by local experts, would be working on the monitoring system so that this would be set up by not later than January next year.

The system would be set up with the full collaboration of all the parties concerned, including the FOI.

As for refunds regarding the importation of essential products, such as sugar, the ministries said they were drawing up a scheme that would indicate the mechanism to be used.

The government, they added, wanted to ensure that there were safeguards in the way public funds are spent while the system adopted would be as simple as possible.

In this context, the ministries added, various meetings had been held with operators in this sector and more would be held in the coming weeks.