On Wednesday 21 March the European Commission asked the member states to give authorisation for it to open fresh negotiations with Morocco to amend the EU-Morocco fisheries partnership agreement and to renew the protocol. In a ruling on 27 February, the European Court of Justice said that the fisheries partnership agreement concluded between the EU and Morocco in 2006 is in line with EU law so long as it does not apply to the Western Sahara and the waters off its shores (see EUROPE 11970). This means that the agreement has to be renegotiated.
In addition, the current protocol, covering the period from 2014 to 2018, is about to expire. It makes provision for authorisation for 126 EU vessels (from 11 member states), including 99 from Spain, to fish in Moroccan waters. In return, the EU makes an annual payment of €30 million, including €14 million to support the development of the Moroccan fisheries sector.
The Commission says its proposal seeks to improve fisheries governance by improving the monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) of fishing in the region. It gives assurance that continuing the agreement will be of benefit to both parties: - on the one hand, providing Morocco with support for its strategy on the sustainable development of the fishing sector through the financial contribution that will be paid to it under the terms of the protocol; - and on the other, providing EU operators with fishing opportunities through the amended agreement and the renewed protocol. The Commission hopes to conclude the negotiations before the expiry of the current protocol on 14 July of this year.
The proposal seeks to extend the agreement to the Western Sahara, subject to certain conditions. It underlines that the agreement will “include a review clause enabling to take into account a mutually acceptable political solution which would provide for self-determination of the people of Western Sahara consistent with the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations”. (Original version in French)