Brussels, 04/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - In ten hours of talks with Moroccan Prime Minister Abderahmane El Youssoufi, Fisheries Minister Said Chbaatou and State Secretary Taieb Fassi-Fihri, in Rabat on Wednesday, Commissioner Franz Fischler tried to break the deadlock in Euro-Moroccan negotiations on a future partnership regarding fisheries. The two parties together examined problems that remain on the table without, however, reaching a comprehensive solution. Among the main obstacles on the path to an agreement remains the duration of the new partnership. The Moroccans are calling for it to be limited to two years, whereas the Union wanted five before reducing the offer to four. EUROPE has reason to believe that the agreement could whence be reached on a compromise of three or four years depending on the fishing possibilities granted. But, for there to be agreement, the Moroccans, who are demanding compensation of in the order of 125 million euro, will have to agree to offer fishing possibilities that are up to this financial hope. Negotiations continued at technical level, Thursday and Friday. They will resume at political level next week with Commissioner Fischler making a further visit to Rabat on 8 and 9 January.
The started intention of the European authorities of putting an end to negotiations should an agreement not be found within a reasonable timeframe no doubt contributed to breaking the deadlock in negotiations. EUROPE recalls that the European Council of Nice had, if a solution not been found with Morocco by the end of the year 2000, invited the Commission to propose, within the respect of the financial perspectives, a specific action programme for the reconstruction of the European fleet that exercised its activities in the framework of the former agreement. On Wednesday, the Moroccan Prime Minister reaffirmed his country's determination to "maintain and strengthen cooperation with the European Union" and told the press that "the EU has shown flexibility" and that "Morocco will demonstrate the same attitude in certain areas it does not find crucial". Commissioner Fischler stressed that "negotiations continue to be extremely difficult for both sides and some major obstacles still remain".