Morocco's Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita, confirmed on Wednesday that Morocco is striving to establish a new "partnership" in the fishing sector, allowing European Union ships to fish in its controlled waters.
Bourita mentioned to reporters in Rabat that the Joint Fisheries Committee between Morocco and the European Union will meet this week in Brussels to evaluate the four-year agreement. He emphasized that Morocco is seeking a partnership that is "equal," taking into account its fisheries strategy as well as biological factors.
The European Court of Justice canceled trade agreements between the European Union and Morocco in 2021, which included agricultural products and fish, because they were signed without the consent of the people of Western Sahara.
Morocco considers Western Sahara as part of its territory, while the Algeria-backed Polisario rebels seek to establish an independent state in Western Sahara.
The European Commission appealed the ruling after issuing a joint statement with Morocco, stating that they will work to ensure the continuation of bilateral trade relations. No final judgment has been issued yet, and the fishing agreement expires next Monday.
Most of the fishing vessels, totaling 128 ships, operating in waters under Moroccan control according to the agreement are Spanish vessels. Under this agreement, the European Union contributes an amount of 208 million euros over four years.
Official data indicated that Morocco's fishery exports increased by 13 percent to 2.8 billion dollars in 2022.
