No agreement was reached during the third round of talks between the EU and Morocco, yesterday in Rabat. The parties have agreed to meet again at the end of the month.
The European Commission and the government of Morocco will hold a fourth round of negotiations in Brussels from 30 January to 1 February.
The parties provisionally agreed on the technical issues, while the financial chapter remains still subject of discussion, according to Spanish news outlet Canal Sur.
Morocco doesn’t want to receive less than the 36,1 million € it received annually under the previous fish agreement. But an independent analysis of said agreement concluded that it was a financial hang-over for the Union: the negative turn-over constituted a loss of millions of Euros.
In addition, the Moroccan fleet has grown in capacity in recent years, rendering the Moroccan government less eager to seal the deal for less money.
Though the European Commission intends to fish in Western Saharan waters, it has still not obtained the consent from the Saharawi people, as legally required. Former UN under-secretary general for Legal Affairs, Dr. Hans Corell, has said the following on the EU-Morocco fish accord: "It is obvious that an agreement of this kind that does not make a distinction between the waters adjacent to Western Sahara and the waters adjacent to the territory of Morocco violates international law".
Here is the EU Council's legal advice on fishing in occupied waters
Hans Corell criticizes EU fisheries in Western Sahara
The former Legal Counsel to the UN Security Counsel, Mr. Hans Corell, comments on the EU's fisheries activities in Western Sahara.
EU Court reaffirms position on Western Sahara
Polisario has a case, but it should be pursued when the time is right, Court implies.
European Parliament disregards Court and adopts Morocco fish deal
Notwithstanding four consecutive rulings of the EU's highest Court calling such a practice illegal, the European Parliament has just now voted in favour of the EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement that will be applied to the waters of occupied Western Sahara.