Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-05-15-Speech-1-153"
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"en.20060515.18.1-153"2
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".
Mr President, I am very pleased to refer today to the Commission proposal for a Council regulation concerning the new Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the Community and Morocco. Before outlining the Commission’s position on this file, let me first thank the Committee on Fisheries and especially its chairman, Mr Morillon, for his excellent work, and the rapporteur, Mr Varela Suanzes-Carpegna, for his report.
I would like to emphasise again that the agreement is fully in conformity with international law. This has also been confirmed by the opinion of the European Parliament’s Legal Service, and the legal services of the Commission and the Council. The content of the agreement does not contain any provision dealing with the legal status of the maritime waters pertaining to Western Sahara. It defines the Moroccan fishing zone as the waters falling within the sovereignty or jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Morocco. This neither defines nor prejudges the legal status of the waters concerned. According to the provisions of the agreement, it is up to the Moroccan authorities as the contracting party concerned to define the fishing zones on the basis of which fishing licences will be issued.
As Members know, this agreement marks the renewal of our relations with the Kingdom of Morocco in the fisheries sector after the previous agreement came to an end in November 1999. The agreement also marks an important step forward towards strengthening our overall relations with Morocco. The agreement marks a new era in fisheries relations between the Union and Morocco. For the first time the Commission has negotiated a fisheries partnership with Morocco, following the principles laid down in the Council conclusions of July 2004. It prepares the ground for fruitful cooperation between the two parties with a view to achieving sustainable fishing and it will foster a favourable climate for further cooperation in all segments of the fisheries sector.
The new Fisheries Partnership Agreement establishes the basis for a political dialogue between the Community and Morocco in order to identify areas of common interest, thereby taking into account also the particular objectives, needs and opportunities of the Moroccan fishing sector. On this basis, the agreement will contribute to the development of a reasonable fisheries policy in the waters concerned. At the same time, I am convinced that the agreement with Morocco is a very balanced one, which responds to the interests of the Community fleet and in particular the small-scale fleet that was most affected by the terms of the previous agreement.
Six categories of fishing possibilities are covered by the agreement. Four of them are small-scale fisheries, small pelagic vessels in the north, bottom long-liners, small-scale vessels in the south, and pole-and-line tuna vessels. A category of demersal fisheries is also included, as well as industrial pelagic fisheries, which is limited to a quota of 60 000 tonnes of catches per year.
The protocol sets the financial contribution at EUR 36.1 million per year. A substantial part of this amount – EUR 13.5 million – is earmarked for support measures in view of the implementation of a sustainable and reasonable fisheries policy.
The agreement has been concluded for a period of four years and contains a number of elements on which the partnership approach is based. They include, amongst other things, an exclusivity clause which prohibits the existence of private licences or other private arrangements outside the scope of the agreement; scientific cooperation in order to promote responsible fishing in Moroccan fishing zones; the possibility of a review of the fishing opportunities on the basis of scientific evidence and within the limits required by the sustainable management of Morocco’s resources; vessel monitoring system requirements to reinforce checks on vessels operating in Moroccan fishing zones; and the social clause applicable to local seamen signed on by Community vessels.
I am confident that this agreement will be implemented in the best possible way and in the spirit of partnership, dialogue and remarkable mutual respect that has characterised our relations with the Kingdom of Morocco since the beginning of the negotiations.
At this point allow me to turn briefly to the amendments. Although the Commission can agree with the spirit of certain amendments, such as Amendments 2, 5, 7, 10 and 13, it does not consider them necessary. Similarly it does not consider Amendment 4 necessary, and it cannot accept Amendments 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 11 or 12.
On Amendments 14 to 18, the question of the EC-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement and the related question of Western Sahara have been discussed at great length, in the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee, as well as in the Committee on Development and the Committee on Budgets."@en1
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