New arrangements for allocating banana import licences were approved by the Commission

Date: 29/10/1998

this week as part of its bid to bring the EU's banana import regime into line with international trade rules. Last year, the World Trade Organisation ruled that the regime discriminated against Latin American bananas. The new system is intended to give preference to operators who actually imported bananas, as opposed to those who merely traded in licences, but it has already been heavily criticised by Latin American banana producers.