The leaders of Europêche have expressed their anger regarding the European Parliament’s decision on 14 December to reject the present EU/Morocco fisheries protocol, which had to be provisionally applied till the end of February 2012.
According to the President of Europêche, Javier GARAT: “The dismissal of this protocol impedes European ship-owners from 11 Member States to fish in Moroccan waters in exchange of a financial compensation. Moreover, ship-owners have already paid their licenses and the compulsory observers on board till the end of February 2012. A sudden halt of their activities is therefore unsustainable form a socio-economic point of view. “
The European Parliament’s decision places the sector in a situation of legal uncertainty with consequences on the future cooperation in the field of fisheries between the EU and Morocco, according to Europêche.
Beyond this negative vote at the European Parliament, perceived as a collapse by Europêche, European ship-owners consider that Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki could have done better defending the prorogation of the fishing agreement which was due to end in two months’ time.
“It is now urgent to find all possible means, through a specific and immediate action of the EU, to compensate the serious consequences of the agreement disruption that will hit many enterprises and workers of the fishing industry in 11 Member States ,” concluded the President of Europêche who also asked the European Commission for an urgent negotiation mandate of the EU Council, to reach a new fisheries agreement as soon as possible, benefiting both parties and complying with the resolution adopted by the European Parliament.
