Tuna high-seas fishing vessels. (Photo: JRTurner)
EUROPEAN UNIONMonday, September 08, 2014, 22:00 (GMT + 9)
The European Commission (EC) welcomes the announcement that European fishing boats are now able to start operating in Moroccan waters following the issuing of fishing licences by the Moroccan authorities.
The announcement was made during the first Joint Committee meeting of the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement (FPA) held in Rabat on 4-5 September.
The four-year protocol to the FPA came into force on 15 July 2014, after which the EU received and submitted to Morocco 63 licence applications from five EU Member States: Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Beyond the issuing of licences, the Joint Committee discussed technical issues and sectoral support. In particular, it sought to agree on the programming of the sectoral support and to define the indicators for monitoring its implementation. These indicators will assess the socio-economic impacts of the sectoral support, including on a geographical basis.
The current Protocol to the EU-Morocco FPA was signed on 18 November 2013 and endorsed by the Council and the European Parliament. It entered into force on 15 July 2014 following the completion of the internal ratification procedures by Morocco.
The total cost of the new Protocol to the EU will be EUR 30 million a year, of which EUR 16 million compensates Morocco for access to the resource and EUR 14 million is directed towards supporting the fisheries sector in the country. In addition, the ship owners' own contribution is estimated at EUR 10 million giving a total financial envelope for Morocco of an estimated EUR 40 million, whilst the new Protocol also provides for increased job opportunities for Moroccan seamen.
Detailed and regular reporting obligations for Morocco will serve to demonstrate the economic and social impact of the sectoral support on the local populations. This reporting mechanism will include details on how each sectoral support project serves the best interests of all of the local population on a geographical basis.