Moroccan-EU negotiations on fisheries will be lengthy and arduous, says Spanish official

Negotiations between Morocco and the European Union on fisheries to start next December 20 will be lengthy and arduous, as Morocco wishes to hold simultaneously talks on vegetable and fruit exports, said Manuel Chaves, president of the autonomous government of Andalucia.

Chaves expressed "worries" over Morocco's refusal to renew the fisheries agreement which expires at the end of this month, bringing to a halt activities of some 200 boats from the southern Spanish region of Andalucia.

He said the Spanish government would make proposals based on political, economic, financial, human and cultural cooperation with Morocco.

In Rabat, the Moroccan association of fruit and vegetable exporters said the crisis experienced by their Spanish colleagues cannot be solved by a standoff or by operations that harm the Moroccan produce.

The association said these operations are led to disguise the Spanish authorities' inability to bring concrete solutions to the problems of their producers.

They further revealed that these actions are led by organizations which are hostile to Moroccan interests.

The association added that studies conducted by the European Union, which is enforcing strict controls of the quantities of Moroccan exports of vegetables and fruits, found out that the quantities of fruits and vegetables imported from Morocco are not causing any harm to the European producers.

The association warned that looting actions against Moroccan exports might take place, as happened in previous campaigns, and asked for concrete measures to ensure the safe passage of Moroccan produce as provided for by international conventions.

Spanish producers and exporters of fruits and vegetables have decided to form a lobby against granting Moroccan exports any concessions or increasing the authorized quantities. The Spanish producers also want more assistance to the sector that exports presently around $7 billion of produce annually.