The conclusion of the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement, which expires in July, will be discussed during the Spanish Council of Ministers meeting on Monday.
The Spanish government will support taking action to prevent the activity from being interrupted, reports by Spanish media Europa Press.
Spain is among the nations that have gained the most from this agreement as 93 of the 138 licenses that could be granted pertain to Spanish vessels, primarily Andalusian, Canary Islands, and Galician.
The Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, Luis Planas has stated that he will represent the interests of the Spanish fleet at the upcoming meeting of the EU’s Council of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers, which will take place on the same- day.
As of this Monday, it became clear that Spain and other EU members disagree with the proposal made by the European Commission (EC) for an action plan to conserve fishing resources, stated the same source.
Previously, the same official said that defending the fisheries agreement between Morocco and the European Union is a “priority” for Spain, noting that the preservation of the agreement will continue to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.
According to Europa Press, Planas told the representatives of the autonomous communities at the Advisory Councils for Agricultural Policy and Fisheries Policy for Community Affairs that the Commission must first conduct a thorough analysis of the state of community fishing with a “real strategic focus on the future of the fishing sector” before making any plans.
Planas has always urged his government to defend the interests of Spanish fishermen who are in the Moroccan fishing areas.
An action plan for the conservation of fisheries resources, two operating reports on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the Common Organization of Markets, as well as a statement on the decarbonization of the industry were submitted by the European Commission on February 21.
Officially, the EU has not yet launched negotiations with Morocco for a new agreement.
However, the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee discussed the issue with European Commission representatives behind closed doors on March 1.
The Court of Justice of the European Union annulled the agreement between the EU and Morocco on September 29, 2021, modifying the tariff preferences granted by the EU to products of Moroccan origin and the partnership agreement in the field of sustainable fisheries, thus giving reason to a complaint filed by the Polisario.
The EU-27 appealed the decision, as the CJEU verdict is expected in the coming months.
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