European Parliament
Claudio Morganti  (EFD ),
in writing.
(IT)
This agreement best encapsulates the catastrophic and self-harming trade policy of the European Union. By adopting it today, we will see a real invasion of Moroccan agricultural products which will risk inflicting the definitive
coup de grace
on many of our excellent fruits and vegetables. It is not at all possible to compete with a country such as Morocco where the cost of labour is significantly lower and which even often uses child labour.
I wonder what benefit there could be for the European Union from this agreement: only the major agricultural multinationals which have already relocated or will shortly do so will benefit from it. I do not believe that there will be significant advantages for simple Moroccan farmers, nor less for the thousands of small and medium-sized farmers from the countries of southern Europe, for whom, by contrast, the consequences would be devastating.
I voted against this motion but unfortunately, today as well, the usual European commercial interests have prevailed. I do not dare imagine where we will end up at this rate: certainly the adoption of this agreement amounts to a defeat for European farmers and fishermen, and someone, sooner or later, will have to accept responsibility for this.

