Made in Italy: even our flower productions are in the eye of unfair competition, with heavy repercussions on our horticultural system, which has 20 employees. We must beware of Kenya, Ecuador, Colombia and Israel, denounces Lega deputy Maurizio Fugatti, who urges the European Union and government to intervene to protect our crops. Under accusation, among the factors that alter the correct rules of competition, compliance with the standards of environmental protection, safety at work, workers' rights.
“The unfair competition of Kenya, Ecuador, Colombia and Israel has been denounced, which together cover 70% of cut flower imports in the whole of Europe – notes Fugatti -. Roses from these countries cost an average of 4-5 cents per stem, including transport, against 18-20 cents for Italian roses, excluding transport”. And the Carroccio deputy explains that this difference in cost "is affected on the one hand by the better climatic conditions of those countries, so it is not necessary to heat the greenhouses in reverse and on the other by the fact that the labor is underpaid and does not enjoy of the most basic rights. This incorrect conduct – remarked Fugatti – puts the entire horticultural sector at risk, with its 20.000 employees”.
Hence the consideration that "the European Union must supervise compliance with the rules of competition and compliance in non-EU countries with the standards which are instead imposed on our companies", because "only in this way can conditions of fairness be restored on international markets". And the solicitation of our government to take incisive action to protect our horticultural sector at a European level, because the task of national governments is precisely "to urge the EU to monitor counterfeiting in certain product sectors, adopting suitable protectionist measures to protect our businesses and jobs”.
