PARIS, Dec 15 (KUNA) – The French government on Thursday said it regretted a decision by the European Parliament in Strasbourg to block the extension of an agreement with Morocco on fishing rights.
Morocco reacted angrily to the Parliament’s decision and immediately banned all EU vessels from fishing in its territorial waters.
The fishing agreement, signed by the EU Commission and which provided financing to Morocco in exchange for fishing rights, expired last February but had been tacitly extended.
Strasbourg deputies, however, would not formally ink the extension decision this week. “France strongly regrets the fact that the European Parliament opposed yesterday the proposal to prolong the partnership accord between the European Union and Morocco in the area of fishing,” the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement here.
Paris noted that the accord was part of a “privileged relationship” the EU had with Morocco and was “the framework for a more important partnership” agreed between the 27 EU nations and the North African country, which has vast fishing zones in the Atlantic.
The EU legislature took the decision because of the fishing rights off the disputed Western Sahara area, which Morocco controls but where local forces are seeking independence and, at times, have fought a guerrilla war against Rabat.
A UN-inspired mediation process between the two sides has stalled.
“France recalls it deep attachment to maintaining very close relations between the EU and Morocco…and wants an advanced status for Morocco which will allow for a further increase in its cooperation with Europe,” the French statement said.
France also said that it would be attentive to this issue and would work with the EU Commission to get a new fishing agreement that would serve the interests of Europeans and Moroccans.”
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