Agreement with Morocco ‘detrimental’

VILLAJOYOSA Agriculture and Fisheries Councillor is set to raise a proposal at a plenary session to urge the Government and European Parliament to reject the renewal of agriculture and fisheries agreements between the EU and Morocco. The Valencian Farmer’s Association (AVA) has estimated that the possible impact of this agreement could be the abandonment of 16,000 hectares of crops and the loss of 15,000 jobs.

“This agreement will be a severe blow to the future prospects of Valencian and Spanish producers in general,” exclaimed Bejar.

“The impact of the final signing of the agreement between the EU and Morocco translates into job losses and decreasing export figures.”

“It creates unfair competition in the market since EU Member countries have to adhere to stringent quality and food safety regulations which reduce productivity, while Morocco does not need to adhere to these standards.”

This in effect would create unfair competition due to the lower production costs and requirements of Moroccan products.

Furthermore, there are also great differences in the social and working conditions in the two countries.

By Nicole Hallett