Leading representatives of Spain’s fresh produce sector have urged the council of the European Union and the European Parliament not to ratify the EU’s new agreement of association with Morocco, which they claim could “seriously affect” Spanish exports.
In a statement released this week, the EU said that it had signed an agreed minute concluding four years of negotiations with Morocco on trade liberalisation.
The EU claimed the agreement, which still needs to be ratified by the European Parliament, would reinforce the position of European exporters on the Moroccan market.
The deal will also immediately liberalise 55 per cent of imports from Morocco to the EU, some 80 per cent of which are accounted for by fruit and vegetables.
The EU said it had taken account of sensitivities related to products such as tomatoes and strawberries by “promoting complementarities” between the production systems.
However, Spanish fresh produce federation Fepex slammed the agreement, claiming it would have a “very negative affect” on Mediterranean fruit and vegetable production.
The organisation is urging the European Council and the European Parliament not to ratify the deal, which it argued would effectively liberalise all fruit and vegetable imports from Morocco to the EU.
In the case of tomatoes, Fepex claimed the agreement would see imports of Moroccan tomatoes rise from the present 213,000 tonnes to 285,000 tonnes by 2013, an increase of 34 per cent.
Valencia-based fresh produce association Ava-Asaja accused the EU of signing the agreement without carrying out an impact assessment of the possible affect of greater liberalisation on European producers.
The group is calling on the Spanish government to veto the deal when it comes before the European Council of Ministers as well as in the European Parliament.
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