EU-Morocco fish talks delayed as contacts continue RABAT, Sept 25 (Reuter) - The resumption of negotations
between the European Union and Morocco on a new three-year
fishing accord have been put back a few days but the delay is
not due to serious difficulties, an EU official said on Monday.
He said contacts were continuing between the two sides to
fix a date for the start of talks, possibly in Rabat.
Fisheries Commissioner Emma Bonino said on September 15,
after talks with King Hassan, that a seventh round of
negotiations would start in Rabat by September 25 at the latest.
Marathon talks to try to conclude a three-year fishing pact,
the EU's most important external fisheries agreement, collapsed
in Brussels in August after the two sides failed to agree on
quota levels.
Morocco was pressing for a 65 percent cut in the catches of
squid and octopus it would allow the mainly Spanish EU fishing
fleet in the new accord. The EU offered a cut of 25 percent over
three years.
REUTER
