EU: Tomatoes and melons from Western Sahara cannot come labeled as from Morocco, says Attorney General

Fresh Tomato

Published Mar 22, 2024

Tridge summary

The Advocate General of the EU, Tamara Ćapeta, has ruled that tomatoes and melons from Western Sahara must be labeled as such, not as products of the Kingdom of Morocco. This decision supports the EU's stance that Western Sahara is a separate territory from Morocco. The case was brought forward by the French agricultural organization, Confédération paysanne, which claimed that these products were incorrectly labeled as Moroccan. The ruling has sparked calls for stricter product labeling controls and a reassessment of the EU-Morocco preferential agreement.

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Original content

The Advocate General of the EU, Tamara Ćapeta, has ruled that tomatoes and melons from Western Sahara must be labeled as originating in Western Sahara and in no case can they be labeled as originating in the Kingdom of Morocco. The Attorney General points out that the territory of Western Sahara is considered by the European Union and the international community as a distinct and separate territory from the Kingdom of Morocco. Consequently, the EU food labeling law, like EU customs rules, requires the territory of Western Sahara to be indicated as the country of origin. Failure to do so would go against the EU's stated position on the territory of Western Sahara and would risk misleading EU consumers in their purchasing decisions. The case begins when the French agricultural organization, Confédération paysanne, asks the French government to prohibit the import of melons and tomatoes originating in the territory of Western Sahara, alleging that they were falsely labeled as ...

Source: Agrodigital