Rabat – The Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, expressed his country’s will to support the continuity of the fisheries agreement between Morocco and the European Union (EU) in the Spanish Senate on Tuesday, October 5.
Following the European Court of Justice (CJEU) decision to end the agreements between Morocco and the EU, the Spanish minister has defended the continuity of the fisheries agreement and emphasized how it is a “priority” for Spain to maintain the existing relationship between the two sides.
“The fisheries agreement is a priority for Spain, because of its importance for the fishermen of our country, especially for the fleets of Andalusia, the Canary Islands and Galicia,” Planas told the Spanish Senate.
Spain has 93 vessels that operate in Morocco’s waters, out of the 138 available in the EU, he recalled, stressing the importance of the agreement for the future of Morocco-EU partnership relations.
Preserving the agreement will further strengthen bilateral relations with Morocco, the Spanish minister noted, while insisting that his government “will defend the interests of Spanish fishermen who carry out their activities in Moroccan fishing zones.”
“Today, we are working together on the basis of trust to take all necessary measures to defend our interests,” within the framework of the EU’s “positive cooperation with Morocco, which must be maintained from a strategic point of view, as it benefits both sides,” Planas concluded.
The court gave Morocco and the EU two months to challenge its verdict and many members of the EU Parliament have criticized the court’s decision to terminate the agreement, calling it a political decision that challenges the EU’s strategic partnership with Morocco.
