auto industry. Food exports to
the UK grew 60% between 2006
and 2015. The fruit and vegetable
category experienced the greatest boom, representing a 51% increase over the period to reach
sales of over €2 billion in 2015.
This is followed by beverages,
food preparations, meat products, and fats and oils. But this
growth could be substantially
slowed down by Britain’s decision
to leave the European Union. For
full story see : El Pais in English
Interview with Ximo Puig includes reassurances for British citizens post Brexit
The region’s socialist leader is on
a mission to diversify the local
economy and boost the vital tourism sector.
His weapons are greater government transparency to encourage investors and a collective
drive with industry and business
to move towards a knowledge
economy based on better training
and high-quality employment
How could Brexit be turned
into an opportunity?
We currently have serious
opportunities on the table that
would
reinforce our ties with
Britain as a result of the Brexit
vote. And there is an emotional
component to it, which is the large
British community living in our
region. We call them our 100,000
British Valencianos.
What reassurances have
you given to the British expat community?
Following the Brexit vote, we
met with community representatives here and guaranteed that
they will continue to enjoy the
same rights as any other European citizen, including healthcare
issues, which is a matter of great
concern for senior residents.