In recent months, Mercabarna management has visited the Border Inspection Points (BIPs) in the ports of Tarragona and Valencia and at Vitoria Airport. Their reason for doing so was to become informed about the management, operation and services these BIPs offer to fresh-produce importers, mainly with a view to improving Mercabarna’s own collaboration with the Port of Barcelona to make its BIP more efficient.
Both the BIPs in the ports of Valencia and Tarragona, the latter of which specialises in fruit imports, and that of Vitoria Airport, devoted exclusively to fish imports, are being subjected to an improvement plan promoted by the Spanish Government to upgrade infrastructures and services.

Furthermore, in June the heads of the Gerona Chamber of Commerce met with the managers of Mercabarna’s business associations and the Food Unit management in order to present the BIP of Gerona Airport, which went into operation in late 2009.