EU confident Rabat will bow to fish demand

Date: 23/09/1999

By Simon Taylor

EU FISHERIES officials are confident that Morocco will allow Union boats access to valuable fishing stocks in return for cash grants, despite calls from Rabat for a new-style agreement.

But EU diplomats believe there is very little hope of a new accord being reached by 1 December, when the current €500-million accord expires. Failure to strike a new deal by then will mean Spanish, Portuguese and French fishing vessels being shut out of Moroccan waters.

Under the current four-year deal between the Union and Rabat, Morocco has received €125-million annually in EU grants to fund cooperation projects, research and training. In return, Union fleets have had access to lucrative stocks of shrimp, squid, octopus and other species off the Moroccan coast.

That money would be lost to Morocco if its authorities stand by their insistence that they will not accept another deal under which they receive cash grants in return for allowing the EU to fish in their waters.

Union officials argue, however, that the prospect of losing the €125 million a year will persuade Rabat to change its mind.

They maintain that Morocco is not ready for so-called "second- generation" fishing agreements, which are based on joint ventures between EU companies and vessel owners in third countries. But they concede that any new deal struck with the Moroccans could involve elements of a second-generation agreement, possibly to be phased in gradually.

EU officials believe it could take three to six months to get a deal as the pressure to engage in serious negotiations will wane after the current accord expires.

But a note of urgency will be injected into talks if, as expected, Union boat owners seek compensation for financial losses incurred once Morocco closes its waters to EU fishing fleets.

EU fisheries officials are confident that Morocco will allow European Union boats access to valuable fishing stocks in return for cash grants, despite calls from Rabat for a new-style agreement.