No accord would be a missed opportunity for Moroccan fisheries, fischler says

Failing to pass a fishing agreement between Morocco and the European Union "would be a missed opportunity for the Moroccan fishery sector," said European commissioner of agriculture and fisheries Franz Fischler after delegation parted Thursday with no "real" progress made.

The European Union, he said remains open to "more compromise to reach a balanced solution."

Fischler's spokesman said in Brussel Friday the time-span of a partnership accord with Morocco is of utmost importance adding the European Union which has displayed a great deal of flexibility in the talks is ready to consider a 4 to 5 year partnership instead of the two year deal proposed by Rabat.

Delegations meet on a weekly basis to level down roadblocks to a fishery cooperation agreement that would preserve both sides' interests.

Meantime, the Spanish government said Morocco would not budge from its stand in fishery talks with the European Union (EU) and adopts an approach wholly contrary to the one adopted by the Union.

The statement was made Thursday afternoon in Parliament by agriculture, fishery and food minister Miguel Arias Canete who renewed his proposal for the re-conversion of the Spanish fleet which used to operate in Moroccan waters.

Briefing the agriculture committee of the Cortes house on evolution of fishery talks, Canete said these have always been difficult with progress made at the last minute.

Short of an agreement before the end of the year, subsidies to the sector dished out since November 1999 will be suspended and trawlers faced with re-conversion, including outright decommissioning, the minister said.

Canete said the meeting this week in Rabat showed there was little margin in the search for an accord adding he would seize the opportunity of the agriculture ministers' council meeting Monday to ask Commissioner Fischler to "push further dialog with Morocco for tangible progress."