EU-Morocco fishing agreement negotiations reach a standstill

The European Commission confirmed earlier this week that negotiations to renew the fishing agreement with Morocco have reached a standstill. 

The current protocol is set to expire on July 17th. The EU revealed that there are currently no ongoing negotiations between the European Union and Morocco in the fishing sector, according to  community sources who spoke to Europa Press.

The EU will continue to maintain its position on Sahara. It emphasized that the status of the fishing agreement remains outside ofthe different opinions on the status of the territory.

The existing agreement between the EU and the Kingdom of Morocco came into effect on July 18th, 2019. It enabled the resumption of activities for the European fleet that had been discontinued since July 14th, 2018. 

The prospective suspension could have a substantial impact on Spain with 92 out of 138 licences in the region held by Spanish vessels, primarily from Andalusia, Galicia, and the Canary Islands.

Minister Planas expressed his concerns with only six weeks remaining until the agreement’s expiration. He also said that similar situations rose in the past, and anticipates measures to assist affected fishermen.

The EU-Morocco fisheries agreement was nullified in 2018. The EU Court of Justice’s decision was due to the fact that Morocco did not possess the legal authority to enter into an agreement on behalf of “Western Sahara.”

The new agreement, which was approved by the European Parliament in 2019, faced legal challenges and was nullified by the EU Court of Justice in September 2021. 

The court said that the revised agreement failed to address the concerns mentioned in the 2018 verdict.