Brussels, 10/09/2015 (Agence Europe) - The Spanish professional organisations of fruit and vegetable producers are intending to seize upon the European tomato expert group at its next meeting. The organisations intend to propose “considerably improving the effectiveness of the entry price system, amending the way of calculating the import value of Moroccan tomatoes (…), and protecting the agreement between the EU and this country”, Spanish media report, quoting the FEPEX industry organisation. During its session on Friday 4 June, the European expert group took note of the start of this step.
Moroccan media also report this news and fear the relaunch of the tomato war that occupied media for a good proportion of last year, especially as regards the treatment to be given to exports of Moroccan cherry tomatoes.
“Everyone is returning to work from the holidays and the agricultural lobby is resuming service”, writes Moroccan newspaper Les Echos. It adds: “Taking advantage of the start of the farmers' campaign, Spanish producers intend to bring back up the eternal issue of the entry prices of tomatoes. This subject will be discussed at the next meeting of the tomato expert group, which will take place in Brussels soon, at the request of the agriculture committee”.
The Spanish FEPEX organisation believes it is “a clear priority to establish steps of development (…) and to contribute to the economic and social sustainability of a strategic production” of fruit and vegetables in Spain, both from the point of view of their contribution to the productive activity of certain regions, and from the point of view of maintaining employment and preserving “four jobs per hectare of crop on an annual basis”. (Fathi B'Chir)