Unless otherwise stated, the term EU refers to the 15 member countries prior to the 2004 enlargement. Also, it is worth pointing out, that in general the pigmeat processing sector in the EU is much less concentrated than in the United States. One notable exception is in Ireland, where the sector is dominated by two firms. The largest exporters of pigmeat in the EU are Denmark and the Netherlands, whereas the largest importers are Germany and Italy. In 2002, pigmeat exports by Denmark and the Netherlands were almost three and two times larger, respectively, than Spain’s pigmeat exports, and pigmeat imports by Italy and Germany were about ten and eight times greater, respectively, than Spain’s pigmeat imports. Spain has achieved enviable success in modernizing and expanding its pork sector, but its producers and processors will need to continue along the path of rapid transformation to remain competitive.