WRITTEN QUESTION E-0588/97 by Pedro Marset Campos (GUE/NGL) and Salvador Jové Peres (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (25 February 1997)

Subject: Franco-Moroccan dumping practices affecting Murcian tomato producers

Recently there have been reports in the Spanish media about connivance between Moroccan producers and French importers when filling in invoices and thereby allowing the entry of consignments of tomatoes below the price agreed by Brussels and Rabat a year ago.

This has alarmed Murcian producers who have already heard reports of shipments of Moroccan tomatoes sold by French wholesalers below the entry price agreed between Rabat and the European Commission, since the cost of producing tomatoes in the Murcia region is much higher.

According to the export agreement signed between Rabat and Brussels, 33 000 tonnes of Moroccan tomatoes can enter the Community duty-free in February this year. However, there is a clause stating that the Moroccans can increase this quantity by 20% provided that they do not exceed the total quota of 150 676 tonnes per marketing year. With this massive influx of Moroccan tomatoes the French market accounts for only 15% of the volume of Murcian tomatoes now being exported.

In view of this subterfuge and taking the articles of the EU Treaty on competition as a reference point, can the Commission say:

1. whether it is aware of this situation?

2. what measures it intends to take to step up controls on the entry of consignments of tomatoes from Morocco?

3. whether it does not consider that urgent steps must be taken to prevent further harm being done to Spanish produce?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (7 April 1997)

The agreement between the Community and Morocco concerns the duty-free import into the Community of a quota of 150 676 tonnes of tomatoes. This quota is subject to compliance with a conventional entry price, with imports at lower prices attracting a specific duty.

The quota is broken down into monthly quantities, with flexibility if they are overshot and partial carryover of unimported quantities. The monthly quantities were fixed at 30 749 tonnes and 33 091 tonnes for January and February respectively. However, Morocco exported only part of the quantities granted for those months.

The Commission considers that these imports are not currently disturbing the tomato market, particularly since the quantities concerned are not abnormally large.

With regard, more particularly, to the questions raised by the Honourable Members:

1. Border controls and customs clearance procedures are the responsibility of the Member States. The Commission has not been informed of the facts mentioned.

2. Tomato imports are subject to a double check. The first, provided for in the agreement itself, is carried out by the Moroccan authorities, which inform the Commission each week of the quantities exported. The second is carried out daily by the Commission when it deducts the imports carried out under preferential quotas. There is no plan to step up these checks.

3. The Commission does not consider it necessary to take measures against these imports because the difficulties appear to be due more to the increase in Community output than to imports from third countries.