The Economic Partnership Agreement between the Union and South Africa stipulates that citrus fruit production in that country must be restricted to specified periods in order to avoid overlapping with citrus fruit production in the Union. The aim is to avoid harming Community producers during the periods of citrus production in Europe.

However, following the amendment of the Agreement in 2017, the period of application was extended from 15 October to 30 November, leading to Spanish producers warning of the damaging effect for them of the tariff reductions allowed by the Union for citrus fruit from South Africa during these five additional weeks, which coincide with the placing on the market of the early varieties of European citrus fruits.

In light of the above and following the end of the South African citrus fruit season, can the Commission provide data on the volume of imports from South Africa to the European Union in 2019, in particular in October and November, and say at what price point they entered the European market?

What was the year-on-year variation for the corresponding period?