EU Parliament approves Moroccan trade agreement

The EU last week approved the controversial trade deal that has been pending, with Morocco. The deal had provoked much opposition, mostly amongst Spanish producers who last week pelted European Parliament buildings in Madrid with tomatoes to demonstrate their angst.

The EU agricultural chief, Dacian Ciolos, said the move was both politically and economically important and would help strengthen relationships with Morocco. 

The approval paves the way for a duty free expansion of agricultural sales from the North African nation to the 27 nation EU trading bloc. 

However, those critical of the agreement have said that it will undermine small growers and lead to a prolonging of the dispute about the Western Sahara region. 

"Those MEPs who endorsed this agreement today should be under no illusion: the agreement is not in the interest of the average Moroccan citizen and not in the interest of the people of Western Sahara," French activist and Green EU lawmaker Jose Bove said in a statement.

"By failing to exclude the non-self-governing territory Western Sahara from the agreement, as the U.S. has done, the EU is adding to the difficulties preventing a peaceful resolution of this conflict," he said.

Campaign group Western Sahara Resource Watch reiterated its opposition to the agreement saying it would encourage the further expansion of tomato plantations in the region. The plantations are controversial as they utilise non renewable underground water supplies and are in operation without the consent of the local Sahrawi population. 

The agreement allows for the duty free entry of 70% of EU exported to enter Moroccan markets and the lowering of tariffs on the remainder.

In return the EU will lift the current duties on 55% of imports from Morocco. 

Currently 80% of EU imports from Morocco are of agricultural produce.

They were some safeguards in place that intend to protect EU based growers. For example, the agreement only allows for the moderate increase of certain produce lines into the EU, including strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes and garlic, to ensure there is no oversupply lowering prices. 

Spanish farmers unions however, have stated that it will put thousands of jobs at risk in a country where unemployment is already perilously high. 

There are plans to challenge the agreement on the grounds that Morocco does not adhere to EU labour and environmental standards. 

"We will not stand idly by while the EU abandons Spanish fruit and vegetable farmers to their fate while allowing the uncontrolled entry of Moroccan produce grown at starvation wages," COAG spokesman Andres Gongora said.

The deal is not likely to come into force until the Summer of this year, though it is expected to be formally accepted over the coming weeks.

Source: www.reuters.com