英国のEU離脱の影響が、母の日に及ぶかもしれない。英国で消費される切り花の約80％は、オランダからの輸入に頼っている。メイ首相の離脱案が議会で否決されたいま、EUからの離脱日（3月29日）が重要な意味をもってきた。今年の母の日は、英国では3月31日だからだ。このままだと母の日の店頭が、大混乱になるかもしれない。
これまでJFMAのツアーなどで何度も訪問しているが、英国の量販店の店頭を飾っているのは、オランダからの輸入切り花である。もちろんアフリカ（ケニヤ、エチオピア）や中南米（コロンビア、エクアドル）からの直送品もあるが、いまだに少なくない数量がオランダを経由して英国に輸入されている。
英国のオランダから輸入花（切り花と鉢物）は、年間８億2500万ユーロ（約1031億円、2018年）。EU離脱の混乱後はポンドが下落しているので、二年前に比べて1億2500万ユーロ、オランダからの花の輸入金額も減少している。そこに来て、もし合意なきEU離脱が到来してしまえば、3月29日以降は大混乱が予想される。
EU統合後に消えてしまった面倒な通関手続きや植物検疫が、この日に復活することになるからだ。どうみても、英国の母の日（3月31日）が混乱なく終わるとは思えない。何らかの合意がないとなると、テスコやセインズベリーの店頭は混乱するにちがいない。母の日のかなり前に輸入手当された花が並ぶとか、そもそも店頭の棚に商品が並ばないとか。。。
この状態は、2019年だけで済むことになればよいが、制度が変更にならないと、混乱は将来にわたって続くことになる。同様な事態は、切り花だけでなく、その他の食料品（有機食品や農産物）などにも及ぶことになる。母の日の輸入花が試金石になるのかもしれない。
以下は、1月25日に「ガーディアン紙」に掲載された記事である（HortiBizに転載された記事の引用）。
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”Dutch flower exporters worried about Brexit”
Meet Brexit’s latest potential victim: the Mother’s Day bouquet. While the tumult in Westminster is keeping political pundits in clover, the decision by MPs to vote down Theresa May’s deal this week has sent petals flying among Dutch exporters, who are responsible for 80% of the flowers sold in British shops.
As the risk of a no-deal Brexit was raised, LTO Nederland, the organisation that represents Dutch agricultural producers, formally warned its members of major problems if they do not get products into the UK before Brexit day on 29 March.
“For the floriculture sector, it is also important that March 31 is Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom – an important selling point for suppliers of flowers and plants. It is expected that due to a shortage of facilities and employees, there will be major problems at the border, and therefore delays,” said LTO Nederland.
As the risk of a no-deal Brexit was raised, LTO Nederland, the organisation that represents Dutch agricultural producers, formally warned its members of major problems if they do not get products into the UK before Brexit day on 29 March.
“For the floriculture sector, it is also important that March 31 is Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom – an important selling point for suppliers of flowers and plants. It is expected that due to a shortage of facilities and employees, there will be major problems at the border, and therefore delays,” said LTO Nederland.
Once out of the EU, unless there is a status quo transition period of 21 months, as planned in the prime minister’s deal, today’s current seamless trade will be fractured by customs and phytosanitary checks.
Delays, exporters warn, mean wilting flowers, empty shelves and disappointed Mother’s Day customers.
About €825m (£725m) worth of flowers and plants were sold by Dutch companies into the UK in 2018, down from €950m in 2016, due to the fall in the value of sterling. But whether it is freshly cut tulips, potted plants or small trees, the Netherlands still remains the No 1 source for British florists, garden centres, corner shops and DIY stores.
Delays, exporters warn, mean wilting flowers, empty shelves and disappointed Mother’s Day customers.
About €825m (£725m) worth of flowers and plants were sold by Dutch companies into the UK in 2018, down from €950m in 2016, due to the fall in the value of sterling. But whether it is freshly cut tulips, potted plants or small trees, the Netherlands still remains the No 1 source for British florists, garden centres, corner shops and DIY stores.
Matthijs Mesken, the director of VGB, which represents Dutch wholesale exporters of flowers, said he was confident his biggest traders would ensure their products would be in the shops ahead of Mother’s Day and “as fresh as last year”.
“You can deliver it Saturday for the Sunday, but that will maybe be too late,” he said. “We will deliver the flowers the week before.”
But Mesken added that Mothering Sunday kicks off the busiest season for florists and that without a deal in place, chaos at the ports will begin. “Two weeks later, or Mother’s Day next year? We will have a problem,” he said.
“You can deliver it Saturday for the Sunday, but that will maybe be too late,” he said. “We will deliver the flowers the week before.”
But Mesken added that Mothering Sunday kicks off the busiest season for florists and that without a deal in place, chaos at the ports will begin. “Two weeks later, or Mother’s Day next year? We will have a problem,” he said.
Click here to read the complete article at The Guardian.
Photo credit: Max Pixel, CC0 Public Domain.
Photo credit: Max Pixel, CC0 Public Domain.
01/25/2019 – Daniel Boffey/The Guardian
