ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(81)656
Vol.1981/0196

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(81)656 final
Brussels .11November 1981
POSSIBLE INCLUSION OFCITRUS FRUITS INTHE SYSTEMAv/f ,*
/^POSSIBs
\<*A
\.-A f
\S/V,JFOR STABILIZATION OFEXPORT EARNINGS
Où/i
■/■(Commission communication totheCouncil )
COM (81)656 final

_ Cer*\
Commission studyonthepossibleInclusioriofcitrusfruits
inthe.systemforstabilization ofexportearnings
1.TheACPStateshaveonseveraloccasionsinsistedthatstudiesshouldbe
carriedouttoexaminethepossibility ofincludingcitrusfruitsinthe
systemforstabilization ofexportearnings(STABEX)(1)..
2.Theproductsunderconsideration arecitrusfruits,excludingthejuice
andotherprocessedfruitproducts.Thetwolattercategories ofproducts
arelistedinNIMEXEinsuchawaythat,giventhepresentandforeseeable
trendsintheirexports,itisextremelyunlikelythattheywilleverreach
therequireddependence level.
•». : . ...r-•
Asaresult,theproductslikelytobeconsidered are:
"-grapefruits andpomelos(NIMEXEcode08.02.70).,
-oranges(NIMEXEcodes08.02.02-07,09,,12,13,15-17,19,24,27),
-tangerines (NIMEXEcodes08.02.29-37),
-lemons(NIMEXEcode08.02.50)..
3.TheACPStateswhichproducesignificant quantitiesoftheseproductsare
thefollowing:
31.Swazilandforallfourtypesoffruit.Grapefruits aresent
mainlytoEuropeandJapan,orangestotheMiddleEast(SaudiaArabia).
FruitofinferiorqualityisprocessedinSwaziland andintheRepu­
blicofSouthAfrica.
32.Dominica,whichbeforetheravagesofthecyclonesDavid(1979)and#
Allen(1980)exportedthemajorpartofitsgrapefruit productioo*£jo
theUnitedKingdom.Since1976andbeforetheimpactofthecyclones,
theexportsofgrapefruits accpunted,onaverage,for4%oftotal
yearlyexports.
33.SaintLuciaprovides ,foritsdomesticmarketandexportstoSaint
VincentandGrenada. .
34..Jamaica,SaintVincentandGrenadaareproducersbutnotexportersof
theseproducts. ■"
35.BelizeexportsonlyprocessedfruitstotheUnitedStates.
.(1)Thefollowing Communitydeclaration intheminutesoftheSecondLome
Conventionnegotiations states:"TheACPStateshavingInsistedthat
studiesshouldequallybecarriedoutinviewofpossiblyincluding
theseproducts(citrusfruits).duringthecourseofthenewConvention,
theCommunityDeclaresthatatthispointintimeitcannotpromise
thatthesestudieswillnecessarily leadittoapositivereply."

4.Ituanbeconcluded fromtheprecedingthatonlySwaziland andDominica
arereallyinvolved.
5.Lemons,tangerines andorangescannotbeconsidered :inallcasestan­
gerinesonlyp-layaverymarginalroleintermsofdependence levelin
exportearnings. : 1 1
LemonsandorangesrepresentforDominicarespectively between0.8and
0.5%and1.4and0,8Xoftotalexportearnings;since1975theselevels
havebeensteadilydeclining. v
InthecaseofSwazilandthesharesofexportsofgrapefruits andoranges
intotalexportshavebeenthefollowing :
1976 1977 1978 1979'
Grapefruits ■1.33 2.10 1.89 2.41
Oranges 1.77 3.01 2.40 2.70
Orangesreachthedependence level.However,harvested betweenMayand
August,theydonotconstitute auniformproductinthemeaningofthe
CommonCustomstariffandNimexewhichcreateadistinction between
orangesaccordingtowhentheyareexported1-15May(NimexeCode08.02.06-
08.02.09),16Mayto15October(NimexeCode08.02.12and13)andfrom
1stAprilto15October(NimexeCode08.02.24)accordingtothevariety.
Thiscausesaproblemrelativetoreachingthedependence .levelforeach
category.
Moreover,orangesareaproduct ^coveredbytheCommonAgricultural Policy.
TheirinclusioninStabexwouldgiveACPproducers 3guaranteeforlosses
inquantity,aguaranteewhichCommunityproducersdonothave.This
reasoh'andtheprecedingthereforeleadtotheconclusionthatoranges
cannotbeconsidered. *
6.Asforgrapefruits,theyarealsobeingproducedwithintheCommunity.
Itisafactthatproductionisyetrelatively low,butwithinthecontext
ofenlargement,withtheaccessionofSpain(CanaryIslands),itis
destinedtoincrease.Consequently extendingtheStabexSystemtoinclude
thisproductwouldprovideACPproducerswithadvantages andguarantees
overandabovethosegiventoCommunityproducers.
Itisappropriate torecallthatgrapefruits andpomelosare,likeother
citrusfruits,subjecttothefruitandvegetables sectorofCommonAgri­
culturalPolicy,butunlikeothercitrusfruits,theironlyprotectionis
theCommonCustomsTariff.Infact,theACPStatesbenefitfromtotal
exemptionoftheseduties.Consequently ,itwouldappearthattheinclu­
sionofgrapefruits wouldalsobeinappropriate .