Brussels, 30/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - European and Moroccan negotiators continued their weekly discussions, on Wednesday and Thursday in Rabat, with a view to a new fisheries partnership, without, however, making much progress towards an agreement. The European Commission's spokesperson states the EU has agreed to undertake, in parallel, a development programme for the Moroccan fisheries sector and substantial fishing fleet reduction leading to a gradual withdrawal from Moroccan waters of the EU's industrial fleet. This plan would be accompanied by an obligation to land catches (progressively up to 100%) by refrigerator vessels (cephalopod trawlers and shrimp boats) in Moroccan ports. These efforts did not, however, receive a favourable echo: Morocco maintains its demands on the duration of an agreement (two years), financial aid (amount equal to that of the previous period) and the drastic reductions in the EU fishing effort (by around 80%).