Moroccan concern for the future of its tomato exports to the European Union
The concern has returned To overwhelm the farmers and exporters of Moroccan tomatoes after the announcement of the European Commission for the opening of the deadline to present observations on a new bill that modifies the conditions of importing fruit and vegetables. This measure reconsiders the norms that farmers have long followed to export their products to the European market, which threatens with wide economic repercussions, according to digital means of the neighboring country.
The new law aims to modify the Execution Regulations (EU) 2017/892 and update the mechanisms to calculate import values and additional tariffs. The system It will go from a daily determination of these values to a weekly system based on prices recorded in national customs or by notifications of the representative markets of the EU countries. Although the Commission justified these changes simplifying control mechanisms and links them to national agricultural policies, Moroccan actors consider this measure a direct threat to their agricultural products, especially tomatoes.
Khalid Al-Saidi, president of the Abbeville Association, expressed concern about the impact of this law, said that any additional restriction on the entry of Moroccan products in European markets will aggravate the challenges facing the sector, which already suffers high production costs and environmental and health problems.
He explained that the spread of plant diseases such as absolute tuta and Tobrfv has caused a decrease in production, and some agricultural farms have had to reschedule the agricultural season in an anxiety and anticipation climate.
Observers believe that this European project redefines the panorama of Moroccan exports to Europe, since it could lead to overcome the quotas established in the Free Trade Agreement between Morocco and the European Union. Consequently, import values could be determined in accordance with the requirements of the World Trade Organization, which would open the door to the application of additional tariffswhich would weaken the competitiveness of Moroccan tomato in the European market.
In addition, the new amendments point to broader reforms that affect the European market as a whole, which reflects a tendency to reduce the dependence of imported products and to boost local production in the Member States. These policies could complicate agricultural collaboration between Morocco and Europe and generate new burdens for Moroccan exporters, which for a long time have depended on the European market as their main destination.
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