It considers that the system works in a transparent manner and recalls that it was modified in 2014 in response to complaints that importers evaded the payment of some import duties.

This is how the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, answered a question posed by the Spanish MEP Mazaly Aguilar. In it, the parliamentarian highlights the complaints filed by Spanish farmers' associations before the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) for "certain allegedly fraudulent practices by Morocco to avoid the payment of customs duties from export to the European Union of agri-food products ”.

He also asked about the specific import figures for fruit and vegetable products from Morocco since 2015. Finally, he wanted to know the amounts paid by companies that import Moroccan agricultural products (as customs duties).

EU "Help"

In his reply, Wojciechowski points out that “the growers of XNUMX fruit and vegetable products receive EU aid through tariffs ad valorem on imports and the entry price system. This system has already been improved and simplified in 2014, notably with the removal of the so-called “deductive price” method, which had raised accusations of allowing importers to evade some import duties they would otherwise have to pay.

In the current system, the price on which customs clearance is calculated is the invoice for the individual shipment or the lump sum import value. The European Commission publishes daily the flat-rate import value by product and country of origin, calculated from the representative prices of imported products notified by the Member States to the Commission ”in accordance with Community regulations.

"At the moment - he adds - the Commission does not foresee any change in the existing system."

Imports from Morocco grow

Regarding imports of fruit and vegetables from Morocco, the Commission notes that “they have increased in recent years, from 1 million tonnes of imports in 2015, for an approximate value of 1.200 million euros, to 1,3 million tons of imports in 2019, for an approximate value of 1.700 million euros, which represents an increase of 33% and 40%, respectively ”.