EU penalizes Moroccan tomato exporters

The European Union's decision to require import-certificates for Moroccan tomatoes is a severe blow to Moroccan exporters, says the daily "Liberation."

The exporters'association "apefel" says such a measure, effective as of Jan 1 2000, would turn away European importers from the Moroccan produce in favor of other origins, Spain mainly, not requiring import-certificates.

The economic daily "L' Economiste" reports that the EU decision might spell the end of the Moroccan-EU Agriculture partnership underscoring the fact that the decision came less than one month after the fishing agreement expired.

Morocco is open to European proposals on fisheries as long as they exclude direct exploitation of halieutic resources, asserted minister of fisheries Thami Khyari.