Accord with Europe to be in effect by early next year

The association agreement between the European Union and Central America, signed on June 29 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, will be ratified by the European Parliament this October, bringing the agreement into force in late 2012 or early 2013.

Of the six countries that signed the agreement, Costa Rica and Guatemala are the main exporters of fruits and vegetables.

Costa Rica exported 3.4 million tons of fruit and vegetables in 2009, while Guatemala exported 2.3 million tons, according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN.

Source: Fresh Plaza