(ANSA) – ROME, 7 FEB – "In the context of the negotiations, Italy supports, and will continue to support, the objective of a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom, provided that it ensures the absence of tariffs and quantitative restrictions." This was stated in the Chamber of Deputies by the Undersecretary for Agricultural Policies, Laura Agea, responding to an urgent question on Brexit.
Recalling that the United Kingdom is today the fourth-largest global market for Italian food and beverage exports, after Germany, the USA and France, with a value of around 3.4 billion euros, driven by wine, processed vegetables, dairy products, and the confectionery and pasta industries, Agea added that "our country considers it a priority that the future partnership maintains high standards in the production of our finest goods, paying particular attention to PGI products and designations of origin. Furthermore, another area on which the Government will focus particular attention is the protection of the rights of the approximately 700,000 Italian citizens currently living in the United Kingdom, as well as, of course, of the British citizens living in our country."
"In general, we believe that the principle of balance between rights and obligations must shape the entire future partnership with London, clearly including the economic sphere. The free trade agreement," she stressed, "will have to prevent any form of unfair competition, thanks to robust clauses safeguarding a level playing field in areas such as social and environmental protections and state aid. The level of ambition of future trade relations with the United Kingdom will inevitably depend on the level of commitments that the other party agrees to undertake and on the stance the United Kingdom adopts at the negotiating table."