"Does European Commission know the consequences of the agreement?"
MEP Isabella Löwin, who asked the Commission about the EU fisheries in occupied Western Sahara, is stunned that the Commission are so vague about the effects of the agreement.
10 February, Swedish MEP Isabella Löwin asked the European Commission questions on the implementation of the EU-Moroccan fisheries agreement.
But the answer from Commission shows that they really are not really sure. Löwin is thus not very pleased about the answer. On her blog 1 April 2010, she writes the following (translated from Swedish):
"Ok. So now the answer to my question on how the European Commission, after three years of fisheries cooperation with Morocco - has assured itself as to whether the agreement benefits the occupied Western Sahara, and does not only consititute a plunder of resources from an occupied people. Without any details, without any documents, without answering any of the several detailed questions I posed, I guess one must interpret the answer to be: We dont know, and we haven't bothered to ask. Judge for yourself".
Question first, then answer.
Parliamentary questions 10 February 2010 P-0746/10 WRITTEN QUESTION by Isabella Lövin (Verts/ALE) to the Commission
Subject: Western Sahara and Morocco fisheries agreement
P-0746/10 The Commission has stated that it concurs with the authoritative statement of the legal adviser to the United Nations in his letter of 29 January 2002 (the ‘Corell opinion’). That opinion states that any resource exploitation must take place with the consent, ‘for the benefit of’ the people of the Western Sahara. It is clear that no consent has been given by Polisario.
The Commission has also provided data showing that EU‑flagged vessels have been operating in the waters off the Western Sahara.
Now that the agreement with Morocco has been in force for three years, could the Commission please explain what benefits have accrued to the people of the Western Sahara, in particular the Saharawi. More precisely:
1. Has the Commission raised the specific question of benefits for the people of the Western Sahara (in particular the Saharawi) at any of the Joint Committee meetings that are held with Morocco? Has the Commission requested information on such benefits and what information did the Moroccan authorities provide? We would appreciate receiving copies of any such information. 2. If the Commission has not raised this issue could it please explain why it has not? 3. Is the Commission satisfied that Morocco is implementing the recommendations of the Correll opinion, with regard to providing benefits to the local people, in particular the Saharawi?
P-0746/10EN
Answer given by Ms Damanaki on behalf of the Commission (18.3.2010)
In response to the question of the Honourable Member on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement (FPA) between Morocco and the EU, the Commission would like to provide the following information.
At the last meeting of the Joint Committee meeting held with Morocco (2-3 February 2010), the Commission services requested the Moroccan authorities to provide information about the socio-economic effects of the fishing activities and of the sector support foreseen by the FPA.
The Commission is waiting for detailed information from the Moroccan authorities on the subject by the first quarter of 2010. In any case, the Commission would like to underline that some activities of the sector support programme do benefit the people of Western Sahara, notably in the area of support to professional training. For example, some of these activities support the centre for the development of professional skills in the area of fisheries in Dakhla as well as the technical institute for maritime fisheries in Layyoune.
The EU considers to pay Morocco to fish in occupied Western Sahara. An EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement from 2013 would be both politically controversial and in violation of international law.
The international Fish Elsewhere! campaign demands the EU to avoid such unethical operations, and go fishing somewhere else. No fishing in Western Sahara should take place until the conflict is solved.
