Spanish Farmers Urge EU to Enforce Pesticide Rules on Imported Produce

Spanish farmers have been demanding for years that the phytosanitary standards required by the EU be also imposed on products from third countries, including Morocco. "The EU requires a series of phytosanitary measures from Community farmers that it does not require from third countries," denounces Pepe Barea, a farmer from Benaguacil (Valencia) who has abandoned watermelon cultivation for citrus fruits, to El Debate.

Spanish farmers are concerned "about consumer health," he added, calling on the EU to "impose the same conditions on products coming from outside." "We have been making this claim for many years, but the EU tells us that it cannot be strict with these countries because they need help, and this is something we do not understand..." regrets Barea.

Andrés Góngora, head of the association of farmers’ and ranchers’ organizations (COAG), for his part stressed that the recent health alert concerning Moroccan watermelons confirms their fears. Beyond the withdrawal of the products, he calls on the Spanish and Community authorities to put in place a "system of sanctions" against these companies that flood the markets with "very poor quality products".