91997E2219

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2219/97 by Jesús Cabezón Alonso (PSE) to the Commission (30 June 1997)

Subject: Cooperation between the European Union and Morocco

Does the Commission believe that the announcement by the Moroccan Government to the effect that it will not be renewing the current EU-Morocco fisheries agreement when it expires at the end of 1999 is linked to an attempt to secure advantages in the agricultural sector during the renegotiation of the cooperation agreement, which also expires in 1999?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-2217/97 and E-2219/97 given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission (18 September 1997)

The fisheries agreement with Morocco has been concluded on a four-year basis as from 1 December 1995, so that it has been in effect for only about one and a half years. The Commission considers it premature to draw any conclusions yet about fishing relations with Morocco from 1 December 1999.

Before then, it will be necessary to assess whether the goals to which the two sides committed themselves under the current agreements have been attained and to make an evaluation of progress in their cooperation over fishing, which constitutes a key element in future relations between the Community and Morocco.

On the subject of Morocco's fisheries agreements with other countries, the Commission has no information about the intentions of the Moroccan authorities regarding renewal of them.

On the subject of the Euro-Mediterranean agreement establishing an association between the Community and its Member States on the one hand and Morocco on the other, the Commission would like to point out that it has been concluded for an unlimited period. However, it is true that the Community and Morocco have committed themselves to examining, after 1 January 2000, the situation in trade in agricultural and fishery products with a view to arriving at greater liberalisation of mutual trade as from 1 January 2001.