Brussels, 15/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - Spain sought financial compensation from the European Union on Thursday 15 December after the European Parliament (EP) had, the previous day, dissolved the protocol to the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement, which was due to expire at the end of February 2012.
“Spain is demanding compensation for the damages the Spanish fishing fleet will suffer”, declared Spanish Fisheries Minister Rosa Aguilar on her arrival at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council. “We will fight for this fleet and the fishermen who now find themselves out of work”, she stated, indicating that she intended, too, to press for the renegotiation of an agreement with Morocco. She said that Spanish fishermen and vessel owners had already paid for their fishing licences.
The arrangement between the EU and Morocco allowed 120 vessels flying the flags of 11 different EU countries to fish in Moroccan waters in exchange for European financial compensation of €36.1 million annually. Around 100 of these vessels are Spanish.
Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki said that, following the EP vote, the protocol would have to end and that EU vessels must stop fishing. “This will be done in full accordance with international law and by applying the speediest procedures at our disposal”, she said. She said, however, that she would continue dialogue with Morocco on fisheries issues and had taken full note of the EP's request to the Commission to move forward negotiations on a new protocol.
France “keenly regrets that the European Parliament was against” the agreement's being extended, the French Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. “France will particularly support the efforts the European Commission must now undertake swiftly to negotiate and sign a new protocol to the fisheries agreement, that takes account of European and Moroccan interests”, it added.
Morocco has reacted robustly to the vote, telling European fishing vessels that they must leave Moroccan waters before Wednesday midnight. “The European Parliament decision is a disappointing development, with serious consequences for the future of cooperation in fisheries between Morocco and the EU”, the Moroccan Foreign Ministry said. (LC/transl.rt)