Spain wants EU pressure on Morocco over imports

Spain has asked the European Commission to exert more customs controls on Moroccan fruit exports to ensure a strict respect of the quotas stipulated in the Moroccan-European Union association agreement.

Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Jesus Posada, told the Socialist group at the Spanish Parliament that he has asked Franz Fishe, the European commissioner for agriculture and fisheries, to submit Moroccan exports of fruits and vegetables to customs controls. He added that Spain rejects all agreements signed with a non-European Union member country that do not take into account effects on the Spanish flower sector.

The Spanish Socialist Party complained that during the 1998-99 season, Morocco exported some 181,542 tons of tomatoes while the agreement provides for a quota of 150,776 tons.

The Spanish minister also rejected any concession to Morocco in exchange for the renewal of the fisheries agreement.