letter to the editor from Richard Corbett MEP

28th February 2008

Daily Telegraph

Dear Editor,

Roger Helmer's attempt to portray the EU as some kind of protectionist fortress is profoundly misleading (letters, 27th February). The EU is not a "fortress" with high tariffs erected against the rest of the world. On the contrary, it is one of the most open trading areas in existence. Europe imports more from developing countries than the US , Canada , Russia and Japan combined.

Even on agriculture, where the EU is vulnerable to criticism, and the Common Agricultural Policy in need of further reform, it is the world's biggest importer of agricultural produce from the developing world. It takes almost all of Africa's agricultural exports and almost half of Latin America 's. No developed country on the planet extends the same openness to agricultural exports from the developing world.

Yours,

Richard Corbett

Labour MEP for Yorkshire & Humber
Blenheim Terrace, Leeds