Parliamentary committees are opposed to extending pact with Morocco
EUROPEAN UNIONTuesday, November 08, 2011, 23:10 (GMT + 9)
MEPs that integrate the European Parliament (EP) Budget and Development committees were against extending the fisheries agreement between the European Union (EU) and Morocco.
On the one hand, they argue that they fear that the new agreement does not respect the rights of the Western Sahara inhabitants, who claim that the waters from this area should not be included in it.
Members of the Development Committee also explained that the evaluation of the agreement carried out by an external consultant has been "one of the most negative evaluations ever conducted in regard to bilateral fisheries agreements."
They further point out that the agreement "records the lowest level of cost/benefit ratio of all the agreements."
"The EU receives EUR 0.65 for every euro invested (compared with an average EUR 1.4 for the other agreements). This includes 780 jobs in the EU, which means that the EU subsidizes each position with EUR 45,000," the text by the MEPs reads, according to the news agency Europa Press.
Both committee’s vote is not binding but it will be forwarded to the EP Fisheries Committee so that by 22 November it can be taken into account when it is decided whether to extend the bilateral fishing agreement.
Community sources reminded EFE agency that the EP has planned to vote this issue in the full meeting in December 2011.
Last July, the EU and Morocco signed a one-year extension of the fishing agreement, which has been in force since 28 February 2011 and it will expire on 27 February, 2012.
The agreement was signed by the Moroccan Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Aziz Akhenouch, and his counterpart from Poland, Marek Sawicki, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU until the end of 2011.
The previous protocol expired on 27 February but the negotiations between the parties have failed to reach an agreement so far today, as some Member States have had concerns about the impact on the Western Sahara and human rights in this region.
During the four years the fisheries agreement lasted, the EU provided EUR 144 million to Morocco for 119 fishing licenses, of which 101 belonged to Spanish ships.
Last September, the EP plenary voted against consulting the Court of Justice of the European Union for the entity to determine whether the fisheries agreement with Morocco respects the international law despite including the waters of the Western Sahara.
The petition, which had been sponsored by MEPs Andrew Duff and Raul Romeva, was rejected with 302 votes against it, 221 votes for it and 30 abstentions.
Related articles:
By Analia Murias
