Three of Spain’s leading horticultural associations and hundreds of fresh produce growers are expected to take part in a major demonstration tomorrow (28 February) to demand “no more concessions” from the European Union to non-EU exporter nations.
Members of the Association of Young Farmers (Asaja), the Union of Small Farmers (UPA) and the Grouping of Agricultural Associations (COAG) will all take part in the demonstration, which will take place in the south-eastern city of Almería.
In a statement, the organisations, which are staging the demonstrations to coincide with Andalusian Day, said the action was in protest to the EU’s continuing negotiations with non-EU countries, such as Morocco.
The three groups held a meeting earlier this week with representatives from the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and Rural Affairs (MARM) to demand that Spain and the EU rejects the award of trade concessions the north African country.
Morocco is currently is negotiation with Europe over the terms of its existing Agreement of Association with the EU, an agreement which the Spanish associations accused the country of failing to respect.
The groups also claimed that Morocco has refused to relax its own import controls at a time when the country is experiencing an increase in exports to the EU.
