Brussels, 16/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - The leaders of Europêche, the association of national organisations of fishing enterprises, expressed their anger on Friday 16 December, at the European Parliament's decision to reject the present EU-Morocco fisheries protocol which was to be provisionally applied until the end of February 2012.
According to Europêche President Javier Garat, “the dismissal of this protocol prevents European ship-owners from 11 member states from fishing in Moroccan waters in exchange for a financial compensation. Moreover, ship-owners have already paid their licenses and the compulsory observers on board until the end of February 2012. A sudden halt of their activities is therefore unsustainable from a socio-economic point of view.”
The European Parliament's decision, which Europêche sees as being “purely political”, places the sector in a situation of legal uncertainty with consequences for future cooperation in fisheries between the EU and Morocco. Europêche feels that Commissioner Maria Damanaki could have done more to defend the extension of the fishing agreement which was due to end in two months' time. “It is now urgent to find all possible means, through specific and immediate action of the EU, to compensate the serious consequences of the agreement disruption that will hit many enterprises and workers of the fishing industry in 11 member states”, Garat added, calling on the European Commission urgently to seek a negotiating mandate from the EU Council, so as to reach a new fisheries agreement as quickly as possible - one which benefits both parties and complies with the resolution adopted by the European Parliament. (LC/transl.rt)