During the July 17 session, MEP Carmen Crespo called for an urgent review of the EU-Morocco Agreement, arguing that its current implementation is creating an “unacceptable imbalance” in the European fruit and vegetable market, particularly in southern Spain. She demanded binding quotas, effective reciprocity mechanisms, and stricter controls on the origin of imported produce.
Crespo also highlighted weaknesses in the enforcement of the Agreement, pointing specifically to inadequate monitoring of Morocco’s tomato entry prices and citing a potential €70 million in fiscal fraud. She urged the European Commission to request compensation from Morocco should this fraud be confirmed, and called for the activation of safeguard clauses to protect the European agricultural sector.
In a separate intervention, MEP Mireia Borrás Pabón urged the European Commission to enforce the EU Court of Justice rulings issued on October 4, 2024. These rulings require the exclusion of Western Sahara produce from the preferential tariffs under the EU-Morocco Association Agreement and mandate the clear identification of the country of origin. Borrás criticized the Commission for not yet explaining how these rulings will be implemented, despite nearly a year having passed since their issuance. She emphasized that Moroccan tomato imports are seriously harming Spanish producers.
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Following these interventions, the European Commission is expected to provide a written response to the petitions.
Over the past decade, Spain’s imports of Moroccan tomatoes have surged by 269%, rising from 18,045 tonnes in 2014 to 66,624 tonnes in 2024. In contrast, Spanish tomato production has fallen by 31%, dropping from 2,320,990 tonnes to 1,649,750 tonnes over the same period. Exports to the EU (excluding the UK) have also decreased by 25%, from 786,599 tonnes in 2014 to 591,098 tonnes in 2024.
Representatives from FEPEX and EUCOFEL (Fruit and Vegetables Europe) attended the session as part of ongoing efforts to raise awareness of the damage caused to EU tomato growers by Moroccan imports and to urge the effective application of the EU Court’s rulings. Last month, these associations also held meetings with various political groups in the European Parliament.
