The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food has announced that it is exploring possible avenues for cooperation with Morocco following the recent decision by the European Court of Justice to annul the agricultural and fisheries agreements between the European Union and Morocco. Spain is considered one of the main beneficiaries of these agreements, particularly the fisheries agreement.
In response to a question from Assahifa about the steps Spain plans to take following the annulment, the ministry stated that it is analyzing the impact of the ruling. It also noted that Minister Luis Planas is sending reassurances to both friends in Morocco and the European Union in light of the court's decision.
The ministry's response emphasized that Minister Planas affirmed that relations between Spain and Morocco would remain positive and stable, stressing that the tripartite relations between Morocco, Spain, and the European Union go beyond the significance of the annulment of the agricultural and fisheries agreements.
This statement from the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food comes at a time when voices in Spain are calling on Madrid to act and find a solution to the cancellation of these agreements with Morocco, especially since the Spanish fishing fleet in the south has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the deal.
Spanish media reported in the past two days that the Chair of the European Parliament's Fisheries Committee, Carmen Crespo, a member of Spain's Popular Party, has submitted a question to the European executive authority, requesting clarification on the nature and terms of the new negotiations regarding the trade and fisheries agreements with Morocco.
According to the same sources, Crespo, in her written question, pointed out that the European Court's decision to annul the fishing and trade (or agricultural) agreements with Morocco has created uncertainty among European stakeholders, particularly due to concerns about the potential negative effects of halting the agreements, which had secured a significant portion of Europe's fish and agricultural imports.
In light of the annulment, the Spanish government is now under pressure to find solutions for a large fleet of Spanish fishermen who are currently prohibited from entering Moroccan territorial waters to fish. This situation is pushing Spain to exert greater pressure on the European Union to negotiate a suitable new agreement with the Kingdom of Morocco.
For its part, Morocco refuses to sign any new agreement that does not include the Western Sahara as an integral part of Moroccan territory, the very condition that led to the European Court of Justice annulling the previous agreement, arguing that the Western Sahara remains a disputed territory and is not part of Morocco.
