(Brussels, 16 February 2012) FoodDrinkEurope welcomes the European Parliament’s consent to the ‘EU-Morocco agreement on agricultural products and fishery products’ today.

The Parliament has sent a positive signal to the EU’s trade partners by breaking down trade barriers at a time when the relationship between the EU and the Southern Mediterranean region is high on the EU’s agenda.

This agreement is particularly relevant to Europe’s food industry, given that the EU’s current trade deficit in foodstuffs exceeds €600 million – and Morocco benefits from asymmetric access to the European market under the existing bilateral agreement and the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP).

Speaking following the vote, Jesús Serafín Pérez, President of FoodDrinkEurope, said: “We welcome the Parliament’s consent to the agreement on agricultural products between the EU and Morocco. It represents a step towards granting food and drink manufacturers’ better access to the Moroccan market, improving the bilateral trade balance. Food operators now look forward to seeing further improvements in the regulatory environment with a view to strengthening trade relations with this increasingly important trading partner.”

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For further information:

Lisa McCooey, Deputy Director General/Director of Communications

Tel.: +32 2 514 11 11, Mob.: +32 476 911 300, l.mccooey@fooddrinkeurope.eu

FoodDrinkEurope’s mission is to represent the food and drink industries of the EU – the largest manufacturing sector in the EU in terms of turnover and employment. FoodDrinkEurope works with European and international institutions, in order to contribute to the development of a legislative and economic framework addressing the competitiveness of industry, food quality and safety, consumer protection and respect for the environment. FoodDrinkEurope's membership consists of 25 national federations, including 3 observers, 26 European sector associations and 18 major food and drink companies. For more information on FoodDrinkEurope and its activities, please visit: www.fooddrinkeurope.eu