EU-Morocco trade agreement

The European Parliament today voted to give its consent to the inclusion of a new protocol on agriculture and fisheries in the EU-Morocco trade agreement. The Greens are opposed to the agreement both because of concerns about the impact of liberalised trade on small producers and because the agreement includes the autonomous region of Western Sahara, in conflict with international law. Following the vote, Green draftsman José Bové withdrew his name as parliament's rapporteur for the agreement, stating:

"Those MEPs who endorsed this agreement today should be under no illusion: the agreement is not in the interest of the average Moroccan citizen and not in the interest of the people of Western Sahara.

"The proposed blanket liberalisation of trade will threaten the livelihoods of small producers, while the agreement lacks sufficient social and environmental safeguards.

"By failing to exclude the non-self-governing territory Western Sahara from the agreement, as the US has done, the EU is adding to the difficulties preventing a peaceful resolution of this conflict. It is politically irresponsible in terms of the signal its sends to the international community.

"It is highly regrettable that a majority in the EP was deaf to concerns raised about this agreement. However, the debates in the parliament, and the strong criticism of this agreement, have meant that the EU's trade policy and the problems of its approach are at least finally being subjected to more intense scrutiny."