The parliament Magazine
Written by Eli Hadzhieva on 30 January 2018 in Opinion Plus
The EU is expected to resume fisheries cooperation with Morocco despite a ‘politically motivated’ legal opinion from the EU Court of Justice, argues Eli Hadzhieva.
Proposed EU-Morocco agreement would involve around 120 vessels from 11 EU countries | Photo Credit: Press Association
On 23 January in Brussels, Moroccan Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Waters and Forests, Aziz Akhannouch held talks with European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella on strategic cooperation between the two partners, particularly in the field of fisheries.
Last year, both parties had expressed their willingness to renew their fisheries agreement, “which is essential for both parties”.
Yet, a non-binding opinion by the EU Court of Justice’s Advocate General Melchior Wathelet of 10 January has stirred up debate over the renewal of the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement.