Bonino to brief Commission on fish talks with Rabat

BRUSSELS, Sept 5 (Reuter) - Fisheries Commissioner Emma

Bonino is due on Wednesday to brief her Commission colleagues on

last month's failed fish talks with Morocco but will present no

figures for ad hoc compensation of EU fishermen, a spokesman

said.

Bonino will update the Commission on the breakdown of talks

at the end of August, he said.

A Commission proposal for an "ad hoc" fund to compensate

Spanish and Portuguese fishing fleets for lost fishing

opportunities is not yet ready, but should be completed in the

next few days, the spokesman said.

Bonino said in August compensation might come from the

financial orientation instrument for fisheries (IFOP, after the

French acronym), other existing structural funds such as

Objective 1 or PESC money and an "ad hoc" fund for those

affected by the stalled talks.

The Italian commissioner said Rabat's stance in talks, which

collapsed over disagreements over the size of fishing quota cuts

for squid and octopus, called for a full examination of EU

relations with Morocco.

This is unlikely to take place at Wednesday's meeting

because of the pressure of other agenda items such as the French

nuclear tests, the spokesman said.

REUTER