German and Irish law organisations demand that Messe Berlin ceases to accept the controversial French tomato producer Azura.
The Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), based in Ireland, and the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) released on, 6 September 2019, an open letter to Messe Berlin GmbH, the organiser of the leading Fruit Logistica trade show, and its Ombudsperson.
The letter addresses allegations of illegal conduct by one of the show’s exhibitors and Messe’s responsibilities under the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights (UNGP) in relation to their hosting of this business.
The French company ‘Azura Group’ exports tomatoes from occupied Western Sahara to Europe.
GLAN and ECCHR write in a release that Messe Berlin had responded poorly to a request earlier this year to make the fair stop promoting Azura, and that the two groups therefore proceeded to publish the correspondence.
The French-owned Azura Group, a producer of agricultural and aquaculture products in occupied Western Sahara, has taken a remarkably political stance - openly praising Morocco’s “national cause” and “territorial integrity.”
Swedish company S2H2+Bm Concept AB has so far refused to clarify whether its planned green hydrogen plant will be located in Morocco proper or in occupied Western Sahara.
Despite repeated requests, the organisation does not clarify why its food safety certificate ignores legal boundaries.
A publicly organised mission will take Canary companies into occupied Western Sahara later this month.