Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies on Thursday took a hardline stance against the European Union’s (EU’s) threat of a ban on South African citrus fruit by tabling the issue with the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

The EU had been threatening to refuse entry to citrus fruit exports from South Africa, alleging that the fruits found with traces of black spot on peels posed a risk to EU citrus producers.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said in a statement on Thursday that South Africa had been “left with no other option” but to report the issue to the WTO’s Sanitary and Phytosanitary Committee, which sets constraints on member States' policies relating to food safety and animal and plant health with respect to imported pests and diseases.

“The EU stance is fundamentally driven by protectionist, rather than plant health concerns, and is aimed at restricting highly competitive citrus imports from South Africa to the benefit of citrus producers in the EU,” Davies said, pointing out that there was no scientific consensus supporting the EU’s claim of potential crop infections.

The South African Government News Agency had previously reported that the South African citrus industry exported about 100-million cartons of oranges – 45% of which were bound for the EU – to 45 countries, generating R6-billion in foreign exchange.

Last month, Davies had vowed to comply with any calls by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the citrus industry to pursue the matter with the WTO.

Parliamentary committee member Bheki Radebe at the time agreed, saying: "it is high time that the DTI take the matter to the WTO. It is Spain that is complaining and they are a competitor in the citrus market.”

He affirmed Davies’ view of protectionism.