Brussels, 31/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - The meeting on Monday and Tuesday in Brussels between the European Commission and a Moroccan delegation, enabled to start true negotiations on a possible Euro-Moroccan partnership in the fishing sector. These negotiations will now continue on a weekly basis and the next meeting will take place in Rabat on 8 November. The two parties agreed to meet once a week alternatively in Rabat and Brussels to continue the exchange of views on the various aspects that could be part of this cooperation, indicates the Commission in a Communiqué that notes that "the Moroccan delegation presented its position on the prospects for cooperation" and that "the two parties broached the broad guidelines for a mutually balanced cooperation".
According to the Commission spokesperson, the debate centred around the "complete programme": submitted by the Moroccans and whose heading where revealed on Monday by the Moroccan Minister following his meeting with Commissioner Franz Fischler. The Commission is "making no comment" at this time on the content of these proposals; it wants to study them before reacting to this offer for "global cooperation".
The extraction activity (catching of fish) could not be completely excluded, but would become marginal and is only being considered by Morocco as a final gesture of good will in favour of "certain regions of the Member States". According to unofficial sources, certain figures have already been raised. The extraction activity to the benefit of the Community fleet would be limited to 2 years and attached to satellite monitoring guarantees. The Community ships, in a radically reduced number (8 trawlers instead of 80) would only have for the cephalopods quotas corresponding to 10% of the quotas set by the former agreement. A reduction in the quotas allocated to traditional fishing (benthic species especially caught by the Andalousian fleet) by around 50% would also be considered. Added to this is a further reduction of 50% in the number of European shrimp boats authorised to fish in Moroccan waters. Morocco also wants to increase the mesh size of nets on cephalopod boats from 40 to 60 mm, effective measure for the protection of resources, but which would also lead to a reduction by around 30% in catches. The same sources also confirm the Moroccan call to the disembarking of all the catches in Moroccan port installations and another demand aiming for 25% of crews on board the Community boats being Moroccan. Nothing indicates for the time being that these figures are from the Moroccan delegation that defends itself from having made any proposition on the "fishing rights" aspect.