French, Italian and Spanish tomato producers are joining forces to lobby the European Parliament in the hope it will veto a new association agreement with Morocco. Growers from the three Mediterranean countries are concerned that the proposed new agreement will give Moroccan producers an unfair advantage on the EU market and lead to market distortion. Producers from all three EU states met last week with French Greens/European Free Alliance group MEP José Bové who is charged with writing a report on the agreement on which the parliament will vote. The group told Bové of their desire for reciprocity in the new agreement as well as their fears for economic stability in major production areas in Europe should the agreement go ahead. An international trade committee will vote on the agreement in March before it goes to a plenary session of the European Parliament in June.
