Morocco will not renew fisheries accord with European Union, under same terms
Morocco-European Union, Economics, 6/25/1999

Morocco will not to renew, under the same terms, the Morocco-European Union fisheries accord that expires on November 30, 1999, said Moroccan minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, Mohamed Benaissa.

"We are awaiting the EU proposals regarding the conclusion of a new accord that provides for new cooperation formula so that the Spanish fishing fleet continues to operate in Moroccan waters," Benaissa, who started on Wednesday a three-day official visit to Spain said.

Benaissa who was touching on the fisheries dossier at a joint news conference with his Spanish peer, Abel Matutes, at the end of their first round of talks in Madrid on Thursday, said consultations will be held shortly between Morocco and the bodies in charge of fisheries at the European commission, at the request of the European Union.

Matutes recalled on his part that when the current Morocco-EU fisheries accord was concluded in November 1995, Morocco had then asserted that this would be the last accord of the kind and that it would not be renewed. "We have however expressed the wish to explore new formula, establish partnership between Morocco and the EU and consolidate Moroccan-Spanish cooperation," Matutes said.

Matutes mentioned the social incidence that the non-renewal of the accord would have on the 5,000 Spanish fishermen and Moroccan crews working aboard the Spanish trawlers operating in Moroccan grounds.

Morocco has officially announced that it will not renew the four-year fisheries accord under which nearly 600 European trawlers, mainly Spanish and Portuguese, operate in Moroccan waters, when it comes to expiry in November 1999.

Representatives of the various branches of fisheries and sea industries in Morocco are also against the renewal of the fisheries accord with the European Union in view of "the disastrous situation of the sector" and the over-exploitation of sea resources by European trawlers.

Morocco has proposed another partnership formula, promoting joint ventures in fisheries-related sectors such as shipyards, ships maintenance, seafood processing and fish-farming.

The two foreign ministers also spoke of bilateral relations at large, describing these relations as "excellent" and as "steadily improving" thanks, they said, to the frank and intensive dialogue between the two governments on issues of mutual concern.

Both ministers voiced satisfaction over the multifaceted relations existing between the two countries and the determination to handle all problems in transparency and frankness. They described the meeting they had just held as "dense and frank" and said it was held in transparency.

Benaissa-Matutes talks covered the possibility to raise the ceiling of the reconversion into investments of Morocco's debts to Spain which stand at 1.3 billion dollars. Spain said it will make a proposal in this regard to the coming meeting of the Paris club.

The two sides discussed the problems facing the 140,000 strong Moroccan community legally settled in Spain, and Benaissa asked Spanish authorities to ease procedures for family reunion and to improve their stay and work conditions, especially in Almeria, southeastern Spain.

When discussing the Sahara issue, Matutes renewed Spain's stand which backs the U.N settlement plan on the Sahara and its "strict neutrality" on the question. He also voiced backing to the right of all Sahrawi tribes to participate in the referendum-- the U.N is projecting to hold in the Sahara in July 2000.

The referendum will determine whether the Sahara, Moroccan southern territories, a former Spanish colony retrieved by Morocco in 1975, would remain part of Morocco or set on their own, as claimed by a separatist movement, the Polisario.

Previous Stories:
  Spanish agriculture minister in Morocco next July   (6/23/1999)
  Moroccan-Egyptian business council meets in Casablanca   (6/9/1999)
  Morocco, Senegal sign cooperation accords   (5/31/1999)

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