The European Parliament on Wednesday narrowly rejected an objection aimed at preventing the entry into force of the delegated regulation adopted on October 16, by the European Commission on the indication of origin for fruit and vegetables shipped to the European Union — delivering a clear political victory for Morocco.
The objection concerning the labelling of products from the Sahara, pushed by several MEPs from the most critical parliamentary groups, failed to secure the absolute majority of 361 votes required.
Although a relative majority of MEPs backed the objection, it fell short by a single vote, which automatically validated the Commission’s text.
As a result, the delegated regulation, which amends labelling requirements across the EU, will enter into force unchanged and will also apply to products originating from the Sahara.
During the debate, supporters of the objection argued that “the proposal does not provide sufficiently explicit origin information” and that certain regional indications would remain, in their view, too vague for European consumers.
Some also criticised the regulation for “leaving too much discretion to national authorities” in the enforcement of labelling rules.
However, these concerns failed to garner the votes needed to overturn the Commission’s decision.
The MEPs in favour of maintaining the regulation said the rejection strengthens agricultural cooperation between Rabat and Brussels. They stressed that “the adopted framework preserves the legal certainty of operators, while ensuring continuity in trade flows.
They recalled that the Commission’s rules “remain aligned with recognised commercial practices” and do not undermine the stability of the regulatory environment.
The President of the European Parliament will now notify the EU institutions and Member States, formally ending the objection procedure.
The razor-thin vote marks a favourable outcome for Morocco, whose agricultural exports to the EU will continue under the terms confirmed in the regulation.
MK/ak/sf/lb/gik/APA