FEPEX has complained to the European Commission about Morocco failing to adhere to the conditions set by the Association Agreement with the European Union, which states that the concessions made in the tomato sector are intended to maintain the traditional level of Moroccan exports to the EU and prevent disruptions in the EU markets.
FEPEX has reported that, according to data from the General Customs Directorate of the European Commission, tomato imports from Morocco in the first two weeks of January have totalled 25,471 tonnes; an increase of 75% compared to the same period last year, and that this has resulted in a collapse of the EU market. According to data from the Saint Charles market, in Perpignan, which is the main entry point for Moroccan tomatoes into the EU, the growth of imports until Wednesday 20 January, compared with the same period last year, exceeds 100%; a growing trend which has been observed since the beginning of the campaign, with volumes always much higher than the preferential quotas granted in the Partnership Agreement.
Given this situation, FEPEX has asked the European Commission and informed the MAGRAMA about the need for safeguard measures, a possibility provided for in Article 7 of Protocol I of the Partnership Agreement between the EU and Morocco, which foresees that, given the special sensitivity of the agricultural markets, if imports from Morocco cause serious disruptions or severe damage to the European productive sector, the European Commission may immediately adopt the necessary measures to prevent it.
The collapse of tomato prices, a strategic sector for the Spanish horticultural sector, is causing serious damage to the productive sector and an irretrievable loss of income for tomato producers, with prices at origin well below the cost of production; something that, according to FEPEX, fully justifies the European Commission's immediate adoption of measures to ensure the recovery of the markets.