The Commission has proposed extending Protocol 1 and Protocol 4 of the Trade Agreement with Morocco to the Western Sahara territories. Meanwhile, Commissioner Hogan has announced an official visit to Egypt by the end of 2018.

In the light of these initiatives, certain unresolved trade problems arising from agreements on agricultural products from countries such as Morocco and Egypt need to be urgently addressed. Importing citrus fruit and vegetables from these countries is a cause of concern for European producers, as Egypt and Morocco, and even more so, South Africa, are affected by quarantine diseases such as citrus black spot or Huanglongbing, which could cause serious damage to European citrus fruit production.

Can the Commission clarify whether the updating of Protocol 1 and Protocol 4 of the Morocco Trade Agreement will increase the volume of products, in particular citrus fruit and vegetables, imported into Europe with preferential tariffs?

Can the Commission clarify whether Commissioner Hogan will propose an increase in imports to Europe of vegetables and citrus fruit from Egypt and Morocco, and whether any economic impact studies have been carried out on the agricultural economy of European producers of such products?

What measures does the Commission propose to address the different sanitary standards for pesticides used in Morocco and Egypt?