The European People's Party (EPP) has called for an urgent review of the trade agreement between the European Union and Morocco, warning of an «unacceptable imbalance» in the European fruit and vegetable market, particularly affecting southern Spain. The remarks were made before the Petitions Committee in the European Parliament. MEP Carmen Crespo urged the introduction of mandatory customs quotas and effective reciprocity mechanisms, along with stricter monitoring and the exclusion of any products originating from Western Sahara, in line with the October 2024 ruling by the European Court of Justice. The ruling reaffirmed that Western Sahara is a «separate and distinct territory» from Morocco and cannot be included in trade agreements without the consent of its people. Crespo highlighted an 18% increase in Moroccan tomato imports, from 492,000 to roughly 580,000 tons, blaming this surge for a collapse in prices faced by European producers, who, she argued, are unable to compete with products that fall short of EU social and environmental standards. She also raised concerns about potential tax evasion amounting to an estimated €70 million, criticizing the reduction of customs duties rather than updating entry prices for Moroccan goods, and condemned the practice of labeling Western Saharan exports as Moroccan. Crespo called for the activation of EU safeguard measures and financial compensation from Morocco should tax evasion be confirmed. She also criticized what she described as the «inaction» of certain EU governments, particularly Spain, for failing to protect the interests of local farmers.
