The Coordinadora de Organizaciones de Agricultores y Ganaderos (COAG) demands the immediate suspension of the agricultural trade agreement between the EU and Morocco following the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union that confirms that the agreement, amended in 2019, violates international law. In particular, it violates the principles of self-determination and the relative effect of treaties, as the people of Western Sahara did not give their consent to being part of it.
The ruling confirms the annulment of the Council's decision amending the EU-Morocco Agreement on the liberalization of trade in agricultural products, extending the tariff preferences contained therein to products originating in Western Sahara. However, the ruling allows the Agreement on liberalization measures in the field of agricultural products between the EU and Morocco to be maintained for twelve months from today due to "the serious negative consequences for the Union's external action that its immediate annulment would entail and for reasons of legal certainty."
"The ruling should be applied immediately, without any grace periods. There was no grace period for European farmers who, under the pernicious conditions of this agreement, are affected day by day by unfair competition from imports," stated Andrés Góngora, COAG's State Fruit and Vegetable Officer. "If the Court ruled that the agreement is not legal, the EU cannot close its eyes and keep an illegal agreement in force for another twelve months, just to favor certain transnational companies, while producers continue to lose profitability and disappear," he added. COAG also demands that the Spanish government take a stand in favor of agricultural producers.
Moreover, today there was another ruling from this court that ratifies COAG's claims that the Association Agreement between the EU and Morocco violates the rights of consumers in the EU and doesn't follow European legislation on the labeling of fruits and vegetables, limiting the consumers ability to discern whether a product labeled as originating in Morocco comes from this kingdom or Western Sahara.
The ruling is clear in this sense. "The indication of the country of origin that must appear on the tomatoes and melons in question may only state Western Sahara since those products are harvested in that territory. That territory is different from Morocco and a customs territory within the meaning of EU law."
"This is recognition that consumer fraud is taking place by companies importing produce from Morocco, often with European capital, and that they are competing unfairly," Góngora adds.
For more information:
Andrés Góngora
COAG
Tel: +34 619 30 17 54
www.coagandalucia.com