Rabat – Andalusia’s regional government has accused Spain’s central government of taking a weak position toward Morocco over agricultural trade, arguing that Spanish farmers are not receiving enough protection from competition with imports.
Ramón Fernández-Pacheco, Andalusia’s regional minister for agriculture, fisheries, water, and rural development, made the remarks on Tuesday during an event by Europa Press organized in Seville.
He criticized the Spanish government for failing to defend farmers’ interests firmly enough in its dealings with countries such as Morocco.
“The primary sector feels unprotected and abandoned,” Fernández-Pacheco said, according to Europa Press.
Dispute over Moroccan tomatoes
A central issue in the dispute is the import of tomatoes from Morocco and its southern provinces in Western Sahara into the European Union.
Fernández-Pacheco questioned how products originating in Morocco’s southern provinces could benefit from the same trade preferences as Moroccan goods, arguing that the international community does not recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the territory.
The claim is in line with pro-Polisario claims pushed by the separatist group, which has been challenging Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over its southern provinces. Algeria’s regime backs the Polisario Front, backing, arming, and financing the separatist group.
Fernández-Pacheco called on European authorities to enforce trade agreements, respect import quotas, and take action when they are exceeded.
The anti-Moroccan rhetoric follows the European Union’s move to extend preferential tariff treatment to products from Morocco’s southern provinces in Western Sahara under a revised arrangement with Morocco. The decision has drawn criticism from some European agricultural groups, which fear that imports could put additional pressure on local producers.
Morocco, meanwhile, has developed a significant agricultural export sector, supplying European markets with tomatoes, citrus fruits, and other fresh produce. Morocco’s position on Western Sahara has also gained growing international support, with an increasing number of countries backing its autonomy plan as a serious and credible basis for resolving the dispute.
Against this backdrop, attempts to exclude products from the territory clash with growing international support for Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, as well as Spain’s own position in support of Morocco’s autonomy plan as the most serious, realistic, and credible basis for resolving the dispute.
Calls for stronger trade safeguards
Fernández-Pacheco said European farmers should not have to compete under different conditions from producers in countries outside the EU.
He called for fair and automatic safeguard clauses that would take effect when imports exceed agreed limits, rather than measures introduced only after producers have suffered losses.
He also pointed to imports of citrus fruits from Egypt and olive oil from Tunisia, arguing that the same rules should apply to all trading partners.
His position, he stressed, was not opposition to free trade but a demand for equal conditions for European producers.
The Andalusian official also defended the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the EU’s main framework for supporting farmers and rural communities.
He argued that agricultural subsidies should be understood as part of Europe’s food security system, helping the bloc maintain domestic production rather than becoming dependent on imports.
He also warned against potential cuts to agricultural funding under the EU’s next long-term budget, calling for greater consideration of regions that produce large quantities of food but face water shortages.
Morocco’s produce has long been under attack and subject to campaigns in Europe, with European farmers alleging unfair competition for locals amid preferences for Moroccan products due to quality and prices.
