On Monday 8 October, the European Commission adopted its proposals on the sustainable fisheries partnership agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco, which confirm the inclusion of the territory of Western Sahara in the agreement (see EUROPE 12081).
The negotiations and the resulting texts take into account the judgment of the EU Court of Justice of 27 February 2018 in Case C-266/16, according to which the fisheries agreement and its protocol did not apply to waters adjacent to the territory of Western Sahara.
As requested by the parties, the negotiations were nevertheless able to include this territory and its adjacent waters in the fisheries agreement for several reasons, the Commission explains: - the Union fleet must be able to carry out its fishing activities, including in these waters, within a legally secure framework; - the population of Western Sahara benefits from the economic and social advantages of the agreement; - Morocco, which administers this territory (at least the largest part), is the only entity with which such an agreement can be concluded; - the proposal is complies fully with international law and Union law.
The four-year protocol provides fishing opportunities for 128 vessels in 6 categories: - 2 categories of small-scale fishing in the north: pelagic seine fishing (category 1, 22 Spanish vessels) and bottom-set longline fishing (category 2, 35 vessels, 25 Spanish and 10 Portuguese); - small-scale fishing in the south with pole-lines (category 3, 10 Spanish vessels); - demersal bottom trawling and bottom longlining (category 4, 16 vessels, 12 Spanish and 4 Portuguese); - small-scale tuna fishing with poles (category 5, 27 vessels, 23 Spanish and 4 French); - industrial pelagic fishing with pelagic or semi-pelagic trawl and purse seine: 85,000 tonnes in the first year, 90,000 tonnes in the second year and 100,000 tonnes in the third and fourth years.
The annual financial contribution paid by the EU amounts to €37 million, increased per year to €42.4 million: financial compensation for access by EU vessels of €19.1 million for the first year of application of the protocol, increased to €20 million in the second year and €21.9 million in the third and fourth years; - support for the development of Morocco's sectoral fisheries policy of €17.9 million a year for the first year (€18.8 million in the second year and €20.5 million in the third and fourth years). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)