Spanish, French and Italian fresh produce associations have joined together to urge members of the European Parliament to vote against the ratification of the new EU-Morocco agreement of association, claiming it will have “negative consequences” for Europe’s producers.
The European Commission is expected to publish the legal text covering the agricultural protocol of its proposed new agreement with the north African country, which its critics claim will increase Morocco’s fruit and vegetable exports to the European Union, reports Fruitnet.com.
The trade deal, which was finalised in November last year and replaces the previous EU-Morocco agreement of association, now has to go before the European Parliament to be ratified under the terms of the Lisbon Treaty.
In a statement, Spanish fresh produce producers’ federation Fepex called on members of the parliament to vote against the agreement, which it argued would have “direct negative repercussions” for Spain’s fruit and vegetable growers.
The call forms part of a concerted campaign by Spanish, Italian and Fresh associations to force the two sides back into negotiations, with the Joint Franco-Italian-Spanish Committee of fresh produce organisations writing to 250 parliamentarians in June urging support.
The associations claimed that an increase in export concessions to Morocco would “seriously damage” the European fresh produce sector, arguing that the current EU-Morocco trade deal had already been harmful to producers.
