On March 5 an FOI delegation led by FOI president Anton Borg and vice-president Joe Pace held various meetings with officials of the Ministry for Economic Services on developments that had occurred on Government's negotiations with the European Union for the granting of free access into EU Markets for Processed Agriculture Products (often referred to as Non-Annex I products) prior to Malta's accession into the EU.
The conditions for asymmetric access, including the double zero treatment of certain processed products and the removal of EU export subsidies, were highlighted.
The FOI now awaits Government clarification on how the current levy dismantling programme (as established under Legal Notice 226 of 2002) would be affected by the exercise. Once clarifications are received, the Federation will contact all its members concerned to draw up its reactions to the whole process.
FOI members wishing to be updated about this exercise can contact the FOI secretariat on tel: 2123-4428 or 2122-2074.