Controversial Morocco fishing deal to be extended

One-year extension for pact that campaigners say breaks international law.

A fishing deal between the European Union and Morocco that has been deemed illegal is set to be extended by one year.

Member-state officials last night (17 February) decided to back a proposal from the European Commission to extend the controversial accord by one year when it lapses at the end of the month. Ministers could approve the deal as soon as Monday (21 February), according to an EU official.

In 2005 the EU agreed to pay the Moroccan government €144 million to allow European boats to catch fish in North African waters. The deal has always been disputed by Western Sahara’s independence movement, which says it ignores their rights and bolsters Morocco’s claim to the land. The mostly desert territory has been under Moroccan control since 1976, after the collapse of Spanish colonial rule.

Lawyers at the European Parliament have argued that the EU-Morocco fishing agreement breaches international law because it ignores the right of the Saharawi people to control their own natural resources.

At yesterday’s meeting, Germany and a number of other countries voiced doubts about extending the agreement. A decision was eventually reached by a qualified-majority vote. But a proposal drafted by Spain – the main beneficiary of the agreement – France and Poland for a two-year extension was defeated.

The Commission reluctantly settled for a one-year extension, arguing that it needed to ensure legal certainty while it examines documents from the Moroccan government on access to fish for the Saharawi people.

Maria Damanaki, the European commissioner for fisheries, has said that she will not renew the agreement on a permanent basis unless the benefits for Saharawis are unequivocal.