The European Parliament's Agriculture and Rural Development Committee has reignited debate over the labeling of agricultural products from Western Sahara, a contentious issue in the recent Morocco-EU agricultural agreement. Despite assurances from the European Commission, MEPs criticized the labeling terms for failing to meet CJEU rulings, accusing the Commission of misleading consumers and prioritizing diplomatic ties over European farmers' interests. The labeling of agricultural products originating from Western Sahara, an element of the agricultural agreement signed on October 3 between Morocco and the European Union, was at the center of discussions during Thursday's meeting of the European Parliament's Agriculture and Rural Development Committee (AGRI). Brigitte Misonne, head of the Animal Products Unit at the European Commission, opened the debate by welcoming what she described as «an improvement» compared to the previous agreement, which had been annulled on appeal by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on October 4, 2024. She stressed that the new labeling requirements comply with CJEU rulings obliging fruits and vegetables from the Sahara to clearly indicate their origin. According to Misonne, both the agreement and its labeling system have been positively received by the EU-27. Commission explanations rejected These clarifications, however, failed to convince coordinators of the parliamentary groups, who sharply criticized the labeling formula agreed upon between Rabat and Brussels. MEPs from the European People's Party, Patriots for Europe (far right), the Greens, and the Left accused the European Commission of «misleading European consumers» by allowing references such as Laâyoune–Sakia El Hamra and Dakhla–Oued Eddahab on products from the Sahara instead of «Western Sahara», the terminology explicitly used by the CJEU in its October 2024 rulings. Several deputies accused the Commission of giving priority to its relationship with Morocco at the expense of European farmers' interests. Thursday's debate concluded with a pledge from the Commission representative to respond in writing to all questions raised. MEPs requested that the written response be delivered by Tuesday, November 25, one day before the plenary vote on a motion of objection concerning the labeling wording, submitted by several political groups, according to the coordinator of the European People's Party, the Parliament's largest bloc. It is worth recalling that Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita stated on October 2 that the agreement between Morocco and the EU «confirms the application of the preferential tariffs granted by the EU under the Association Agreement with Morocco to the Southern Provinces». He welcomed the fact that «market access conditions for products from the north will apply to products from the Moroccan Sahara». For its part, the Polisario has already announced its intention to challenge the new Morocco–EU agricultural agreement before the CJEU.
