Extension of EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement Looks Unlikely

Rabat – Spain’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Luis Planas, has stated that the extension of the fishery agreement is unlikely between Morocco and the EU as it has become increasingly “complicated.”

In an interview with Spanish press EFE, Planas announced that the ongoing complications with the agreement have made the EU “consider the consequences” that the bloc would face if the extension proves too problematic to finalize. 

The current fisheries agreement was renewed in 2019 and expires on July 17 of this year.

According to Planas, one of the main obstacles facing the extension of the agreement is that Rabat wants to know the details of the judgment by the European Court before deciding about the terms of any potential extension. 

Rabat’s desire to know more about the judgment comes after the EU Court of Justice ruled in favor of the Polisario Front in 2021. The separatist front, which claims independence for Western Sahara, has long claimed that the EU’s agreement with Morocco had been concluded without the consent of the Sahrawi people.

There is a backlog in the processing chain and the EU can only release such information when they too have a response on certain matters from the European Commission, Planas detailed. 

The Court of Justice is expected to give its verdict in September, months after the agreement’s expiry date in July. 

Amid the complexities, Planas said Spain is trying to find a resolution that will not negatively impact Spanish fishermen. 

Planas’ new-found pessimism over the agreement stands in stark contrast with his original approach, with the Spanish minister having repeatedly described the extension of the agreement with Morocco as a top priority for Spain. 

Converging reports are now suggesting that Spain is looking to find alternatives to Morocco, such as Mauritania. 

Currently, 70% of the EU’s fishery products come from outside the European bloc.

The new Morocco-EU agreement has been problematic from the outset when it was discussed at the inaugural meeting of the Advisory Council of the Food Information and Control AGency (AICA), where some critics claimed that there was no balance between fishery and environmental policies.