Organisations from across the Spanish fresh produce sector have united to back a campaign against the European Union’s new trade deal with Morocco, which is due to be ratified by the European Parliament in February.
A broad coalition of fresh produce groups, including Fepex, COAG, UPA, Asaja and Cooperatives Agro-Alimentarias, have joined together to issue a call to the Spanish government and European MEPs to reject the revised accord.
In a joint statement, the organisations said they wanted to demonstrate in a “firm and united manner” their “most forceful rejection” of the revision to the free trade deal, which they argued would have a “serious impact” on Spain’s fresh produce sector.
The coalition claimed that, if approved, the agreement of association would “effectively liberalise” Moroccan exports to the EU, while “seriously eroding” the trade barrier protection that Spanish and other European products currently receive.
This development, they argued, would have “terrible consequences”, putting in jeopardy the future of Spain’s growers, cooperatives and companies.
“Morocco has violated the current trade agreement on multiple occasions; a situation that will be aggravated rather than resolved by the new accord,” the coalition claimed.
“For this reason, there is an urgent need to coordinate and strengthen customs controls before carrying out any moves forward in the process of trade liberalisation.”
The European Parliament’s International Trade Commission is due to vote on whether to support the agreement of association on 26 January, before the trade deal comes before the Parliament as a whole to vote on its ratification in February.
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