COAG, the representative organization of the Spanish agricultural sector, demanded, Monday, November 17, “the immediate suspension of the agricultural free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Morocco”comments reported by the EFE agency. The head of fruit and vegetables of COAG, Andrés Góngora, took part in a conference organized by the Polisario Front and several pro-separatist parliamentary groups, in the wake of the judgment handed down in October by the Court of Justice of European Union (CJEU), which “cancelled” the agreement with Morocco. The judicial decision – highly contested – revokes the modification on the liberalization of agricultural products adopted by the Council of the EU, while allowing the temporary maintenance of the agreement for a period of twelve months.
Dangerous connections
COAG’s statements before the Spanish Congress of Deputies reveal a clear convergence between this agricultural organization and the interests of the Polisario Front. This coordination, carried out under the pretext of defending European farmers, aims to weaken commercial relations between the European Union (EU) and Morocco, a key player in Mediterranean agricultural trade. By participating in a conference organized jointly with parliamentary groups and the Polisario Front, COAG is part of a politicized approach which goes far beyond its legitimate role of representing Spanish farmers. The use of the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on the Morocco-EU agricultural agreement as leverage to legitimize a campaign against Morocco reflects an attempt at blatant manipulation of European institutions in the service of ideological interests.
The agricultural organization does not hesitate to use inflammatory rhetoric, going so far as to mention sensitive issues such as immigration or the fight against terrorism. By endorsing the demands of a separatist movement, COAG exposes itself to the criticism of indirectly contributing to regional instability and compromising cooperation efforts between the EU and Morocco in crucial areas such as trade, security and the economy.
Unfounded accusations
Góngora called for the immediate application of the decision, arguing that European producers “have not benefited from this grace period and suffer every day from unfair competition from imports, made possible by the conditions of this agreement”which he describes as “harmful”according to EFE.
He also denounced that “the EU cannot look the other way and extend an agreement for twelve months simply to favor certain multinationals while local producers continue to lose profitability and disappear.” In a statement, the agricultural organization urged the Spanish government to take a stand in favor of farmers, “most seriously affected” by this trade agreement with Morocco, and to exert pressure within the EU with a view to canceling the “effects” that it generates for Spanish productions.
A report presented Monday by COAG claims that Morocco “exploits fertile lands in the Sahara territory to create one of the world’s largest centers of tomato production”a large-scale agricultural project “located in the vicinity of the city of Dakhla.”
If COAG puts forward economic arguments to justify its call for the immediate cancellation of the agreement, its demands deliberately ignore the mutual benefits generated by this agreement, both for Moroccan producers and for European consumers. Furthermore, the denunciation of a “unfair competition” is based on partial data, failing to emphasize that Morocco respects European trade standards and contributes to the stability of supply chains for agricultural products, according to reports from Brussels.
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