Brussels, 11/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - The spokesperson for the European Commission, Gregor Kreuzhuber, refused, on Thursday, any comment concerning the remarks made, the eve, by the Moroccan Fisheries Minister, Said Chbaatou who had challenged the declaration by Commissioner Franz Fischler according to which Morocco had taken a step back on several points". Raising the especially difficult nature of the present stage in the negotiations, he also did not want to enter into the details of the positions taken by Morocco and the Commission.
EUROPE nevertheless believes that the comments by Commissioner Fischler and the misunderstandings that apparently occurred with the Moroccan authorities are easily explained in circumstances where the negotiations have developed in a very positive manner over several days, and over several points, before the Moroccan authorities return to other aspects of the dossier with requirements that are hard for the Europeans to accept. Among the elements, over which we can say that Morocco is backtracking, are notably the principal of obligatory unloading. While the European delegation expected, in view of the talks of the previous night, greater supply from the Moroccan authorities, they have confirmed a retirement for unloading of close to 100%. During the last few days, Morocco has shown a certain opening over the more sensitive aspects of the dossiers, namely the industrial fishing carried out by shrimp trawlers and cephalopod trawler, but they returned on Tuesday with extremely rigorous proposals concerning the long liners and traditional fishermen (especially practised by Andalusian fishermen) while we thought that these aspects posed fewer problems. The obstacle that appears to be the most difficult to overcome remains that of the balance that must be reached between the fishing possibilities offered to the European fleet and the financial compensation paid by the EU. On this point, the Moroccan requirements (a little more than EUR 125 million) seem completely unrealistic. On the other hand, it seems increasingly clear that is an agreement should still arise, it would seemingly cover a period of three years.