EU ready to conclude new fishing agreement with Morocco

On Tuesday, the European Commission stated that it is prepared to enter into a new fishing agreement with Morocco once the European Court of Justice issues its ruling on the matter. This comes after a previous ruling prevented the renewal of the current agreement between the two parties.

In 2019, Morocco and the European Union reached an executive protocol for a cooperation agreement in the field of fishing, allowing European vessels, especially Spanish ones, to fish in Moroccan waters in exchange for financial compensation, valid for four years.

However, in September 2021, the European Court of Justice annulled this protocol due to the dispute over Western Sahara, which is rich in fish resources.

The Commission appealed this ruling, but the court decision is not expected until the end of the year, at the earliest, which hindered the renewal of the protocol that expired on Monday.

Virginijus Sinkevičius, the European Commissioner for Fisheries, stated on Tuesday, "It is difficult to predict the (final) ruling of the court, but it will at least provide us with clarifications that we currently do not have."

He added on the sidelines of a meeting of European fisheries ministers in Vigo, Spain, "Our work with Morocco continues, and I hope that we will be ready to sign the agreement as soon as the court's decision is issued."

Both parties have agreed to "continue technical work to speed up the conclusion of a new agreement once the ruling is issued," said Spanish Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Luis Planas, following a joint European-Moroccan committee meeting on the matter in Brussels on Thursday.

Last week, Rabat reaffirmed that it "will not engage with its partners in any economic or commercial agreement" that excludes Western Sahara.

Meanwhile, Madrid announced the allocation of aid to Spanish fishermen to compensate for the losses resulting from their cessation of fishing in Moroccan waters.

The European Association of Fishing Vessel Owners considered that "the loss of access to an important fishing area is a major concern (...) we must find short-term alternatives to mitigate the impact and ensure the means to maintain our relations with Morocco."

On the other hand, Abdelkrim Fotat, the head of the Moroccan Confederation for Coastal Fishing, warned of "losing European expertise in technical cooperation fields," cautioning against the danger of increasing illegal fishing off the Moroccan coast.

 

 

 

 

 

AFP