The agrarian organization COAG (Coordinadora de Organizaciones de Agricultores y Ganaderos) in Spain has reported that its website was hacked after the group called for the immediate suspension of the commercial agreement between the European Union (EU) and Morocco. The cyberattack left the website completely disabled for several days. Technicians, upon attempting to access the portal, found that the text had been replaced with Arabic writing, and traditional Moroccan music played in the background.
This incident followed COAG’s demand for the annulment of the trade deal, citing a ruling from the European Court of Justice.
The court decision stated that the 2019 agreement violated international law by ignoring the principles of self-determination and the relative effect of treaties. The court emphasized that the deal, which involved Morocco, had not received consent from the Sahrawi people, whose land is part of the disputed Western Sahara region.
The tension between Spanish farmers and Moroccan agricultural imports has been ongoing but has escalated in recent years. Morocco’s agricultural sector has grown at an unprecedented pace, making it a strong competitor to Spain in supplying fruits and vegetables to the European market. Due to favorable trade conditions and more relaxed labor and phytosanitary regulations, Morocco has surpassed Spain as the EU’s leading tomato exporter and poses a threat to Spain’s dominance in other crops, including avocados and berries.
Spanish farmers, however, have not received adequate institutional support and have had to battle the issue alone.
Organizations such as COAG have raised concerns about the unfair competition they face, arguing that Morocco’s agricultural sector benefits from conditions that give it an advantage over European producers. These claims have, however, led to significant tensions, as noted by a member of COAG who stated that highlighting such issues often makes others uncomfortable.
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