The 16-year war over the EU's banana imports regime will come to an end, if MEPs consent to a deal that would give US multinationals better access to the Union.

An end to the banana wars?

American banana producers  are rubbing their hands.

On Thursday, MEPs will adopt  an unprecedented trade deal.

70% of European banana imports  come from Latin America.

Until now, these bananas have been  subject to heavy customs duties.

20% of the EU's bananas come from  African, Caribbean and Pacific States.

But for these countries the EU had  favourable tariffs: no real import duties.

Preferential treatment, and as such  denounced by the WTO several times.

with the aim of lowering the import duties  on South American bananas by 2017.

It lowers tariffs, which is positive,  because it settles this dispute.

But on the other hand it’s negative,  negative for the ACP countries,

which will suffer the consequences  of the lower tariff,

as well as for the Community’s products.

So that they can prepare  for much stiffer competition,

ACP producers will receive assistance  from the EU, €200 million.

But European consumers  should gain from this.

It will probably affect  the consumer market,

the consumers of bananas and  of all derived products within the EU.

So, prices within the European Union  will probably be readjusted.

The EU is the world’s biggest  consumer of bananas.

Every year it imports  nearly 6 million tonnes of them.