Bananas: common organisation of the market CMO, import system (amend. Regulation (EEC) No 404/93)

The committee adopted the report by Michel DARY (PES, F) amending the proposal under the consultation procedure. Essentially, the committee was opposed to tariff quotas for bananas being abolished automatically in 2006 and wanted the transitional tariff-quota regime to run for at least ten years. However, it also signalled its desire to see an end to the long-running banana trade dispute by offering concessions over some of the most contentious aspects of the proposal and accordingly adopted an amendment accepting a maximum tariff preference of EUR 300 per tonne for ACP producers. It also agreed to the "first-come first-served" system put forward by the Commission for managing the transitional quota system. However, the committee called for an annual report assessing the impact of the new banana market rules on EU producers and consumers, on the ACP countries and on the trade in organic and fair-trade bananas. It wanted the first report by January 2002 and said the Commission must put forward proposals to alter the system if necessary. �