José Bové Fepex

(l-r) José Bové with Fepex president José María Pozancos

Spanish fresh produce federation Fepex has announced the creation of a “crisis cell” with the European Parliament’s Green Group to campaign against the EU’s new agreement of association with Morocco, which it claims could have “serious consequences” for southern European agriculture.

At a meeting, held earlier this week in Brussels, the group of Green MPs agreed to a Fepex proposal to put together a crisis committee to lobby against the adoption of the agreement, which is due to come before the Parliament in June.

In a statement, Fepex said the meeting, which was presided over by Green group spokesman José Bové, also included a resolution “to brief and inform” European Parliament deputies about the “serious consequences the deal would have for European fruit and vegetable producers”.

The Parliamentary Green group, which has long opposed the new agreement of association, and Fepex claim the effects on European growers will be more severe than under the previous deal as they say the updated version offers greater trade concessions.