Bananas over bananas

-- The European Court of Justice has rejected Germany's complaint about the European Community's (ec) banana import rules. Germany, the largest importer of bananas, favours the Latin American variety and its grouse is that the ec regime prefers producers in Europe and its former colonies over Latin America.

Until recently, Germany imported unlimited duty free Latin American bananas. Since last year, new ec rules have restricted Latin American banana shipments to a tariff-free quota of 2 million tonnes. Meanwhile, for better access to the ec market, 5 Latin American countries, have threatened to take their case to the World Trade Organization (wto) to be established next year.