Morocco-EU fishery negotiations: standpoints are still diverging, Fischler
Morocco-European Union, Economics, 4/6/2001

Moroccan-European Union negotiations on a new fisheries agreement yielded no result as the two sides' standpoints are still diverging.

European commissioner for agriculture and fisheries, Franz Fischler, conceded in Brussels Thursday in a statement before the European Parliament that the two sides' standpoints are still "very diverging," mainly over financial compensation.

Fischler deplored what he called "Morocco's inflexible stand" which made it impossible to reach an agreement.

Moroccan maritime fisheries minister, Said Chbaatou, also deplored the failure of negotiations and said "Morocco cannot be held responsible for a decision that is beyond its will."

Fischler told the European parliament the commission will explore all available possibilities but must first make a report to the fishery ministers council that will meet in the last week of April. He added that the European Union must now focus action on three aspects: seek substitution fishing possibilities in other countries, promote substitution employment opportunities mainly in fish farming, tourism and services and destroy the trawlers that cannot find any other use than fishing.

Morocco refuses to renew the previous Morocco-EU fisheries accord --that expired in November 1999-- under its previous formula out of concern to safeguard its depleting sea resources. Since September 2000, Morocco and the EU held several technical and political rounds of negotiations in a bid to strike a new fishery accord but the negotiations reached no result.

Morocco has repeatedly voiced its willingness to carry on the negotiations insisting however that the UE must understand Morocco's concerns over the situation of the fishery sector and the biological and economic goals it targets.

It has been repeatedly said that the divergence between Morocco and the Union concerns mainly the financial compensation, but Moroccan maritime fisheries minister, Said Chbaatou, made it clear that "Morocco was not seeking more money but more equity" in the frame of a renovated partnership, based on the equity principle.

In Madrid, Spanish opposition parties at the lower house asked the government to try to reach an agreement with Morocco at "any cost" and demanded the resignation of the Spanish minister of agriculture, fisheries and food, Miguel Arias-Canete for "his failure" in the management of the fishery file.

The opposition parties voiced willingness to cooperate to launch a new negotiation process to reach a new agreement and warned of the negative impact the failure of negotiations with Morocco will have on negotiations Spain may have with other countries.

The group of the Spanish socialist labor party (PSOE) at the house called the Prime Minister, Jose Maria Aznar, to pay a visit to Morocco to improve bilateral relations and reactivate the negotiations on fisheries and save the crew of the 326 Spanish trawlers that were forced to cease their fishing activity since November 1999.

A Spanish trade union "CC-OO" also asked the Spanish central government and the autonomous communities to conduct moves so that the European Union resumes negotiations with Morocco.

The trade union said there exists a possibility to resume the negotiations as no political decision was made to definitely stop these negotiations.

Spanish minister of agriculture, fisheries and food, Miguel Arias-Canete told the parliamentary agriculture committee Thursday evening that the Spanish government was going to re-launch the activities of the fleet at berth through alternative activities. He assured that the alternative activities do not mean to send the trawlers to the breakers.

Previous Stories:
  Portugal accuses EU in failure of Morocco-EU negotiations on fisheries   (3/27/2001)
  Morocco-EU fisheries negotiations record no progress   (3/26/2001)
  No Progress in Morocco-EU Fisheries Negotiations   (3/23/2001)

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