The Tomato Committee of Fepex, which includes representatives of producers and exporters from Andalusia, Murcia, the Valencia region and the Canary Islands, met this week and agreed to address members of the European Parliament to request that the agreement between the European Commission and Morocco not be ratified. The agreement would extend tariff advantages already granted to Morocco to production located in Western Sahara. According to the committee, this would increase competition from Moroccan growers.
The committee argues that the agreement to expand these tariff benefits to Sahara territories was negotiated "hastily and with little transparency." Despite the lack of clarity, it provisionally entered into force on October 3. Fepex warns that this will seriously harm the Spanish sector. Producers expect competition from Morocco and Western Sahara to grow, especially because greenhouse acreage in the Sahara is forecast to rise from the current estimated 1200 hectares to 5000 hectares. According to Fepex, these investments would receive European funding under the terms of the agreement.
Fepex also points out that the amendment proposed by the European Commission does not meet key requirements regarding the identification of product origin nor does it guarantee specific, tangible and verifiable benefits for the Sahrawi people. These conditions were defined in the ruling of the European Court of Justice on October 4, 2024, which annulled the previous 2019 agreement.
The organization adds that extending tariff preferences to production in the Sahara would mainly benefit large Moroccan producer groups operating in Western Sahara. These companies already compete directly with Spanish tomato exporters in European markets and have recently overtaken Spain as the number one supplier.
For this reason, Fepex will launch actions directed at the European Parliament, the International Trade Committee and the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee. The goal is to request that objections be formally presented and that these committees vote against ratifying the amendment proposed by the European Commission.
The Fepex Tomato Committee, chaired by Juan Jesus Lara, brings together representatives from the Fepex member associations where tomato production and marketing are most significant. These include Coexphal in Almeria, Proexport in Murcia, Fexphal in Alicante, Faeca in Granada and Fedex in the Canary Islands.
For more information: www.fepex.es
