Spanish farmers are calling for the immediate suspension of the European Union’s free trade agreement with Morocco following a European Court of Justice (CJEU) ruling last month that annulled the agricultural deal between the bloc and the African nation.
The Luxembourg court invalidated the fishing and agricultural trade agreements signed between the parties back in 2019 after finding the expressed consent of the people of Western Sahara had not been adequately sought, but granted a one-year grace period to avoid any disruption to EU foreign policy.
Spanish agricultural unions, however, take issue with another aspect of the deal, namely that it allows for unfair competition by Moroccan producers who do not need to adhere to the same regulatory standards as EU-based businesses, can use preservatives and other chemicals to enhance their products, and are able to operate on far smaller budgets.
According to La Gaceta, farmers have also expressed concern over the fact that many producers are linked to Morocco’s King Mohamed VI, alleging a favorable business environment that is harming the Spanish agricultural sector.
“The daily wage in Morocco is about €8, while here the cost is €10 per hour,” said Andrés Góngora, head of fruits and vegetables at the Coordinator of Farmers and Livestock Organizations (COAG). Labor costs, which account for half of production expenses for certain crops, exacerbate the competitive imbalance.
In addition to lower labor costs, Moroccan producers benefit from more lenient regulations that permit the use of chemicals banned in the EU, giving Moroccan farmers an edge in pest control and production efficiency. Furthermore, Morocco’s tax framework offers companies more favorable operating conditions than those in Europe.
Spanish farmers argue that the one-year grace period for the CJEU ruling prolongs a situation of “unfair competition” that threatens the sustainability and economic viability of their sector and are demanding swift action to protect local producers from what they view as a fundamentally unbalanced trade relationship.
The agricultural sector has long voiced concerns over free trade agreements that fail to ensure equitable conditions for European producers — a key factor in the collapse of talks between the bloc and Australia and a pivotal bone of contention in talks with the South American Mercosur nations.
Just this week, French farmers launched new protests against the deal with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia, citing concerns over unfair competition.
Similarly, many Eastern European farmers, Poles in particular, have protested preferential treatment for Ukrainian grain producers over the past two years, even implementing blockades at the Poland-Ukraine border over claims that Ukrainian grain was being dumped on the EU internal market and affecting their businesses.
