Brussels, 23/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - In Luxembourg on Monday 22 April, European Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki told member states that neither the technical conditions nor the question of financial compensation paid by the EU were obstacles in the way of a new fisheries agreement between the EU and Morocco. There are still, however, problems of a political nature, namely guarantees that human rights will be upheld in the western Sahara, pursuant to a request from the EU addressed to the Moroccan government.
EU fisheries ministers discussed this subject at Spain's behest, and the Spanish minister, Miguel Arias Canete, called on Damanaki to conclude the new agreement with Morocco as a matter of urgency. He received the backing of his colleagues from France, Portugal, Poland and the Baltic States on this. Negotiations began in November 2012 and the fifth round of talks was held on 11 and 12 February this year without an agreement being reached. There is no date as yet for a sixth round of talks. The Commission believes the financial aspects are on the point of being resolved, although there still remains the tricky matter of including a clause on human rights. The EU is said to be waiting for Morocco to fix another negotiating meeting.
Spain has called for the conditions of the EU-Mediterranean fisheries protocol to be revised in order to satisfy the interests of Spanish fisheries. This would involve Spain acquiring the right to be able to fish cephalopods (octopus) and to review fishing zones. A joint EU-Mauritania scientific committee has been held on two occasions. It has refused to open up cephalopod fishing and envisages possible adjustments of the protocol only for pelagic fish species and crustaceans. The new protocol has already been adopted by the Council by qualified majority. The EP's opinion is pending. (LC/transl.jl)