Morocco denies retracting positions on fishery agreement with EU
Morocco-European Union, Economics, 1/10/2001

Moroccan fishery minister, Said Chbaatou, denied Tuesday that Morocco has retracted some of its positions in negotiations over a new fishery agreement with the European Union.

Reacting to a statement by Franz Fishler, European commissioner for fisheries and agriculture, who said on Tuesday in Rabat that "Morocco backtracked on several points," the minister told the radio station RTM the Moroccan stand is a legitimate, general and coherent one.

Chbaatou stressed that Fishler is torn between professionals' pressures and Morocco's proposals based on legitimate motivations.

On the future of negotiations for a new agreement, he said Morocco is ready to conclude an agreement, but not at any price. Morocco seeks a balanced agreement that takes into account the basic goals of the Moroccan policy in this field and the need to preserve its sea resources and develop the sector.

For Fishler who left Morocco on Tuesday after the failure of a new round of political and technical negotiations, the major problem lies in financial compensation that should be proportional to the fishing possibilities of the European fleet.

Morocco claims a reduction of the number of European trawlers authorized to fish in Moroccan waters and a reduced duration.

The previous four-year agreement, worth 125 million Euros, expired in November 1999 bringing some 600 European trawlers to a forced mooring after Morocco refused to renew the agreement.

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