European fruit and vegetable producers demand that Morocco cannot change the origin of products from Western Sahara on the label

The intention of the European Commission to review the EU-Morocco Association Agreementin addition to recovering the fishing pact with this country, has raised strong opposition in the European field, mainly among fruit and vegetable producers who warn against the unfair competition and remember that the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) In a historic ruling, he overturned the fishing agreement with this country for not having included the Sahrawis themselves in its negotiation. The CJEU recognized the Polisario Front, an independence movement, as a legitimate actor and representative of the Sahrawis. The European organizations that bring together the fruit and vegetable sector at the European level COPA- COGECA, AREFLH and Eucofel, which includes the Spanish Cooperativas Agroalimentarias de España and COAG, among others, has sent a joint letter. The letter urges MEPs so that tomorrow they vote against the modification of the regulations that governs labeling at source. Which would prevent Moroccan producers from labeling their products with regional or local names, omitting the name “Western Sahara.”

For these organizations, the European Commission’s proposal not only extends preferential tariffs to products from the Western Saharaa former Spanish colony that is still pending the holding of a self-determination referendum since 1975, but in its opinion contradicts the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) “requiring explicit labeling.” For this reason, European fruit and vegetable producers warn that allowing labels of origin to be include regional names instead of ‘Western Sahara’ can mislead the consumer. In the sector they speak of “a legal shortcut” and consider that Brussels “ignores the jurisprudence of the European Union (EU).” In addition to creating “a precedent” to hide the origin of the products.”

From COPA – COGECA, AREFLH and Eucofel warn against unfair competition for products from Western Sahara “grown to inferior social and environmental standards.” All this, they add, with “intense market pressure due to the increase in imports” and they believe that the review promoted by the European Commission of the Association Agreement “threatens to further displace European production, aggravating the economic pressure on farms throughout the Union.” Along these lines, he believes that if the labeling modification is approved this will generate distrust in the consumer “due to the lack of transparency in labels that hide the origin.”

Is European Union (EU) supervision weakened?

The European fruit and vegetable sector also denounces that the agreement being voted on tomorrow delegates the issuance of certificates of conformity to Moroccan hands. “A critical control”in the opinion of the signatory producer organizations, who believe that Union supervision is weakened European Union (EU) “eroding confidence in EU labeling rules”. COPA – COGECA, AREFLH and Eucofel also maintain that there are no proposals for changes to the Agreement or new developments in aspects such as mirror clauses or safeguard mechanisms. “The Commission has not reformed the agreement nor has it addressed these demands long-lasting, leaving European producers vulnerable to distorted competition and market instability,” they point out.

For this reason, they ask that MEPs oppose changes in the labeling of origin of fruit and vegetables from Western Sahara and believe that it is time to “a complete and balanced renegotiation of the agreement to ensure the protection of European farmers.” Furthermore, in his opinion, this would ensure that effective safeguard measures are applied and that the jurisprudence of the CJEU is respected. “European producers cannot be forced to compete in a system that hides the origins, “It weakens standards and ignores the Court’s rulings,” the aforementioned organizations conclude.