Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Luis Planas. (Photo: Stock File)

Aid to be granted to fleet affected by EU-Morocco agreement expiry

SPAIN
Tuesday, July 17, 2018, 21:40 (GMT + 9)

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Luis Planas announced that he will offer aid to shipowners and crew affected by the temporary stoppage of fishing activities in Morocco after the expiry on July 14 of its agreement with the European Union (EU) .

"I have given instructions so that, during the time that it can not operate, the fleet has support from the Spanish administration through community funds," the Spanish minister said upon arriving at the meeting of Twenty-Eight heads of Agriculture that takes place in Brussels.

The EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement concluded on 14 July after the parties failed to reach a deal to renew it after the EU Court of Justice ruled that the previous agreement, in force since 2014, could not be applied to the territorial waters of Western Sahara. This situation has left 49 fishing vessels without being able to fish, although, with respect to negotiations to settle the future agreement the minister said that "things are going well" and that he hopes that "soon" there will be good news.

"When an agreement is reached it will have to be approved by the Council and, later, by the European Parliament (EP), which will mean that its entry into force will be delayed, at least a few weeks," said Planas, who pointed out that he will remain "cautious" as to this issue.

Source: EFE

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