AGRICULTURE - Market Sectors - Plant products

Bananas and other plantains

The banana sector is integrated in the Common Organisation of Agricultural Markets.

Since 1 January 2006 the European Union applies a new "Tariff-Only" import regime, with a tariff of 176 Euros per tonne for bananas imported from third countries enjoying Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status - mainly in Latin America.

On 15 December 2009 the European Commission initialled an agreement on bananas with Latin American Most Favoured Nations (MFN) and United States. According to this agreement, the EU will cut the MFN import tariff on bananas in eight steps, from the current rate of € 176/tonne to € 114/tonne in 2017 at the earliest (or 2019 at the latest), making the biggest cut first, by 28 €/tonne to €148/tonne, once all parties sign the deal.

Since 1 January 2008, African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) banana suppliers, which have initialled an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), benefit from duty and quota free access to the EU market.

On 19 December 2006 an in-depth reform of the aid scheme for banana producers was adopted by the European Union. This reform aimed to bring the system in line with the main principles of the reforms carried out in the other agricultural sectors, while ensuring a fair standard of living for EU banana producers, taking account of the particularities of the regions where bananas are grown, and ensuring the respect of the EU's international obligations.

This system is a fair and balanced result for everyone, which fully maintains access opportunities for Latin American producers, while continuing to take into account EU and ACP producers' interests.

The Commission continues to monitor carefully the impact of these decisions on prices and trade flows. 

Click here for detailed information on:
  • the banana import regime of the European Union
  • the reform of the aid scheme for EU banana producers
  • Economic Partnership Agreements with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) banana suppliers
  • the market situation
  • the banana case, background and history: the EU import regime and the WTO findings
  • the Geneva Agreement on Trade in Banana
​


Statistics and economic reports on the banana sector
  • Meetings of the CMO
  • Civil Dialogue Groups
<
>

Meetings of the Committee for the Common Organisation of the Agricultural Markets - Bananas

Legal basis
Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 Search for available translations of the preceding linkEN•••of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007

Summary records (drafted and edited by the European Commission) 
Note: The topics of the meetings are mentioned for information purposes only. They are not necessarily exhaustive.
  • 15/12/2015: 140th meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products, olive oil)
  • 24/11/2015: 134th meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products, olive oil)
  • 27/10/2015: 128th meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products, olive oil)
  • 29/09/2015: 118th meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products, olive oil)
  • 09/06/2015: 101st meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products, olive oil)
  • 05/05/2015: 96th meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products)
  • 14/04/2015: 90th meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products, olive oil)
  • 17/03/2015: 83rd meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products)
  • 17/02/2015: 75th meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products)
  • 29/01/2015: 73rd meeting (Sugar - cereals - fibers - Russian import ban)
  • 13/01/2015: 68th meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products)
  • 21/10/2014: 50th meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products)
  • 16/07/2014: 34th meeting (Wine - School fruit Scheme - horticultural products)
  • 14/01/2014: 1st meeting (Fruit and vegetables, olive oil)


Civil dialogue Groups - Bananas

The Commission publishes all relevant documents such as agendas, minutes, conclusions, partial conclusions or working documents on the activities carried out by the civil dialogue group on horticulture, spirits, olives and flowers.
Exceptions to systematic publication will be made where disclosure of a document would undermine the protection of a public or private interest as defined in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents.
18/10/2016 : "Fruits and vegetables"
26/02/2016 : "Fruit and vegetables"
13/10/2015 : "Fruit and vegetables"
27/02/2015 : "Fruit and vegetables"
01/10/2014 : "Fruit and vegetables"