Figure 3: SIV, MFN entry price and preferential entry price of MED’s orange exports to
the EU, December 1, 1995-May 31, 2005
- MFN EP
- preferential EP
-SIV
Dec 1, 1996 May 31, 1997
Sources: European Commission (2005a, 2005b).
The average difference between the SIV and the MFN entry price is highest for Israel with the
SIV amounting to 158.1% of the MFN entry price and 212% of the preferential entry price on
average, followed by Turkey, Cyprus and Tunisia. It is lowest for Egypt with 124.1% and
166.5% respectively. On average, the EU import price for oranges originating in the MEDs is
40% higher than the MFN entry price and about 90% higher than the preferential entry price.
This indicates that the entry price system for oranges is largely redundant.
To check whether this result can be generalized, two other fruits are investigated. The size of
the difference between the import price and the MFN entry price for oranges is exceeded by
the corresponding difference for table grape exports from the MED to the EU (Figure 4). On
average, the SIV for table grapes amounts 199.1% of the MFN entry price effective July 21 to
November 20.
The situation for EU mandarin imports from the MED differs considerably. The SIV is below
the MFN entry price (operative November 1 to the end of February) for Turkey in 60%, Egypt
in 41% and Morocco in 33% of the surveyed cases for mandarins, although a preferential
entry price is granted to Morocco exclusively (Figure 5). Morocco also heavily capitalizes on
the EPQ granted by the EU for Moroccan tomatoes, as it is shown by Grethe and Chemnitz
(2005).