European Commission agriculture minister Marianne Fischer Boel has defended Europe’s new agreement of association with Morocco as a “good deal” that will prove to be beneficial for EU member states.
The minister, who made the comments during a recent visit to the Spanish region of Murcia, claimed that the agreement for the importation of products to Europe was “without doubt a good deal for the member states of the European Union”.
Ms Fischer Boel said that “in general” the accord would benefit EU countries through the establishment of quotas and minimum prices for imports “without opening all the doors”, reported Spanish daily La Verdad.
However, Alfonso Gálvez Caravaca, general secretary of fresh produce association Asaja Murcia, slammed Ms Fischer Boel’s comments, claiming that it was “unbelievable that the pact could be described as positive”.
“Morocco failed to comply with the previous agreement of association either in terms of quantities or entry prices,” he argued in a statement.
“The new agreement will increase quotas and will give absolute freedom for citrus imports, among other fruit and vegetables.”
“The European Commission needs to explain in what way this deal will benefit Spain and the region of Murcia,” Mr Gálvez added.
The EU finalised the new agreement of association with Morocco last December following some four years of negotiations with the north African country 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.
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