Various European trade organisations, including the Dutch Produce Association, want the European Commission to keep a closer eye on the import of Moroccan tomatoes. They recently sent a letter to the Commission on this topic.
The European parties believe that rules are being violated and that a different way of determining the import value of Moroccan tomatoes is needed. The prices of ordinary tomatoes should not be used as a guideline. In addition, the quota after the UK's departure from the EU should be reduced by about 50,000 tonnes, and it should be clear which tomatoes come from the Western Sahara. Especially the Spanish, represented by Fepex, are fiercely in favour of this and have been making themselves heard for some time now.
Morocco: Europe is exaggerating
Morocca has responded to the criticism Morocco. The Moroccan Confederation of Agriculture and Rural Development (Comader) has sent out a reaction. Chairman Mohammed Alamouri regrets in his letter that European parties are using the poor market conditions to point at Morocco. According to him, it cannot be the case that the 2% share of Moroccan imports are destroying the market.
In his argument, Alamouri points to the sustainability of the import, precisely because it is possible to get tomatoes in European supermarkets with cultivation in Morocco outside the European season without lighting and heating.
Alamouri specifically goes into the 'accusations' about export to the United Kingdom. This is also subject to a quota, the president notes, just as there is a quota for imports into the European Union. The fact that the UK has left Europe does not make this any different. Again, according to Alamouri, the import percentage of total UK imports is low, only 1.2%, as it is in the European Union, where he says it is 2%.