The general secretary of European farmers and cooperative organization Copa Cogeca warns that red tap will get in the way of trading with the U.S. and calls for the removal of bureaucratic obstacles so free trade talks can succeed. 

Pekka Pesonen gave the warning during a recent key stakeholder event where he said the U.S. is Europe's biggest client for agri-food products and North American consumers are driving demand for European fresh produce.

However, developing transatlantic trade routes would come with many trade barrier challenges that need to be overcome.

Branding some export rules as 'burdensome', Pesonen says some regulations discourage European producers and suppliers from accessing the U.S. market

"A major concern for us is about red tape and logistical problems in exporting produce to the U.S. like labeling and shipping rules," he says in a release.

"Removing non-tariff barriers would provide the biggest gains on both sides of the Atlantic, three-quarters in fact.

"Together with the EU food industry, we have put together a report listing those that must be removed. For example, the pre-clearance process for fruit and vegetables prevents produce from entering the U.S. market as it is a slow and burdensome bureaucratic system increasing producers' costs."

Pesonen insists these types of issues effectively block exports reaching the U.S. market and also claims the EU system of geographical origins which protect European quality produce from imitations must also be acknowledged.

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