Brussels, 26/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 26 February, member states discussed the on-going negotiations for updating the fisheries agreement between the EU and Morocco (see EUROPE 10786).
According to Maria Damanaki, the European commissioner for fisheries, these negotiations are going rather well. Nonetheless, no date has been set out for the sixth round of negotiations. After five rounds, it appears that technical problems in the fisheries protocol have been resolved. There are, however, two aspects still pending: - respect for human rights and international law, as well as guarantees the Moroccan government is expected to introduce on this (with regard to the Western Sahara); - the payment that the EU will have to make in exchange for being able to fish in Moroccan waters: here, the Commission said that, with respect to the opportunities being offered (return on investment), this payment is expected to be less than what it was in the previous agreement, although Morocco is seeking more.
During the Fisheries Council, some member states (Spain, France and some Baltic countries) directly affected by the halt on fishing in the zone, said that it was crucial that an agreement was found as swiftly as possible. Negotiations are more or less on the right track, these countries are happy to point out. The United Kingdom, the Scandinavian countries and the Netherlands have highlighted the need to guarantee respect for human rights and international law. Other countries underlined the need to ensure sustainable fishing in Moroccan waters. Some third countries, such as Russia, appear to be able to enjoy greater success in negotiating fishing agreements with Morocco, Poland noted. (LC/transl.fl)