The European organizations representing fruit and vegetable producers, namely Copa and Cogeca, Areflh (Assembly of European Horticultural Regions), Copa Cogeca, and Eucofel (European Association representing the EU Fruit and Vegetables production and trade at European level), are raising the alarm over the European Commission's proposal to revise the EU-Morocco Association Agreement.

According to a joint statement, the new delegated act on origin labeling is also a cause for concern: all these initiatives, according to a note, threaten to harm European producers, violate fundamental EU legal principles, and mislead consumers.

In a joint letter to the European Parliament, the organizations denounce the proposal as a "direct violation of EU law and values." The proposal, they state, "extends preferential tariffs to products from Western Sahara and allows the use of origin labels using regional names instead of 'Western Sahara,' despite a clear ruling from the Court of Justice requiring explicit labeling. The industry warns that this is a legal gimmick that misleads consumers, ignores EU case law, and sets a precedent for concealing the origin of products."

"Producer organizations," the letter adds, "highlight several risks associated with this revision. First, the agreement exposes European producers to unfair competition from Western Saharan products grown according to lower social and environmental standards. Second, at a time when EU fruit and vegetable producers are already facing significant market pressure from increased imports, the revision risks further displacing European production, exacerbating the economic pressure on farms across the Union."

The proposed revision, the statement continues, "would also lead to a loss of consumer confidence due to the lack of transparent labels that conceal origin, undermining trust in EU labeling standards. Furthermore, the agreement delegates critical control over the issuance of certificates of conformity to Moroccan authorities, weakening EU oversight and raising serious concerns about compliance with European standards. Finally, despite years of industry calls for reciprocity, mirror clauses, and robust safeguard mechanisms, the Commission has failed to reform the agreement and address these long-standing demands, leaving EU producers vulnerable to distorted competition and market instability."

Accordingly, the organizations note, "European producers are now calling on Members of the European Parliament to support the objection to the delegated act on origin labelling for Western Saharan fruit and vegetables, which will be voted on in plenary this week, underlining the need for a comprehensive and balanced renegotiation of the agreement to ensure the protection of EU farmers, implement effective safeguards, and ensure compliance with EU and international law."

“European producers cannot be asked to compete in a system that hides origins, weakens standards, and ignores Court rulings,” the organizations state in their letter. -END- On behalf of the following associations: AREFLH - Assembly of European Horticultural Regions Copa Cogeca - The united voice of farmers and their cooperatives