Julio García-Aquí Europa
The European Commission has asked the French authorities to take the “necessary measures to prevent” a repetition of the attacks that several trucks carrying Spanish products suffered last October while crossing the French border, at the Le Boulou crossing.
The Commissioner for Industry and Internal Market, Thierry Breton, has reported on this Commission initiative in a parliamentary response to the PP MEPs Dolors Montserrat and Juan Ignacio Zoido.
The Spanish MEPs denounced in that questioning that on October 19 of last year “around 500 French winegrowers blocked the Le Perthus border crossing with Spain” and “looted several trucks” transporting tomatoes, wine and cava of Spanish origin.
Furthermore, the MEPs warn the Community Executive that the assailants “dumped the contents of the cargo on the asphalt without the law enforcement forces, who remained at a distance, intervening at any time.”
Breton has reported that the European Commission had already requested explanations about the “disturbances” from France, “following a request from the Spanish authorities” addressed to Brussels, and that in those contacts Paris responded that the necessary measures had been “quickly adopted.” to put an end to the acts of vandalism” and that the Gendarmerie had opened an investigation after complaints filed by several assaulted truck drivers.
Breton’s response adds that the community services have asked the French authorities “to adopt the necessary measures to prevent similar disturbances from occurring again”, although the commissioner does not detail the scope of this request.
In any case, the Community Executive defends the free movement of goods as one of the four fundamental freedoms of the European Union and “cornerstone of the Internal Market.”
“When obstacles arise, Member States must take all proportionate measures necessary to guarantee the free movement of goods within their territory, in accordance with their obligations under the Treaty,” says the French liberal politician, who recalls that there is an early warning mechanism to react in these crisis situations.
