Commission below stress to avoid wasting fisheries settlement | EUROtoday

L’shock wave attributable to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) regarding the EU-Morocco fishing agreements continues to develop. This authorized earthquake, attributable to three judgments of October 4, calls into query the very foundations of the connection between Brussels and Rabat.

Behind the scenes, a senior EU official, talking on situation of anonymity, referred to as the CJEU’s determination an “abuse of power.” “What the Court does through an individual case amounts, de facto, to trying to change the official position of the EU on a foreign policy subject,” he continues. The Lisbon Treaty doesn’t permit the Court to resolve what the EU’s international coverage is. It is the function of the Council to behave on this means. »

“Interference” by judges in European diplomacy

This knee-jerk response displays a deep unease inside the European government. During the assembly of the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee on October 17, Commission consultant von der Leyen adopted a cautious, even wait-and-see, posture. “The Commission is still studying it to delineate its consequences,” he declared, including that we must always not “confuse speed with haste.” This warning on the a part of the Commission contrasts sharply with the urgency felt by elected officers from the areas immediately impacted by the CJEU determination.

“It’s an admission of failure,” stated Spanish socialist MP Nicolas Gonzalez Casares. He urged the Commission to “take action” extra shortly, highlighting the financial and social challenges for the Spanish fishing fleet and the complete trade. The figures converse for themselves: the settlement allowed 128 vessels from 11 EU member nations to fish in Moroccan waters.

Spain, with 93 ships, was the biggest beneficiary. For this nation, the stakes are excessive: 20% of its complete fishing manufacturing comes from Moroccan waters. Mr. Gonzalez Casares highlighted the important state of affairs within the Cádiz area, essentially the most affected by the CJEU determination.

Putin’s Russia in ambush

But past the rapid financial points, it’s the geopolitical dimension that worries. Nicolas Gonzalez Casares raised the specter of a rapprochement between Morocco and Russia if the EU was too sluggish to react. A greater than justified concern. According to the Spanish press company Europa Press, the fishing settlement between Morocco and Russia, which expired in September, was prolonged till the tip of the 12 months the day after the CJEU’s determination.

This settlement grants Russian vessels an annual fishing quota of 140,000 tonnes, primarily small pelagic fish, within the kingdom’s Atlantic financial zone. Even extra worrying, a joint fee between Morocco and Russia on fishing examined the phrases of future cooperation which might cowl the complete Atlantic coast, from Tangier to Lagouira. Enough to thrill Brussels and Madrid.

Emmanuel Macron quickly in Rabat

Faced with this diplomatic-legal earthquake, France is attempting to maintain issues collectively. In a cryptic press launch, the Quai d’Orsay “takes note” of the judgments of the CJEU, whereas reaffirming its “unwavering attachment” to its “exceptional partnership” with Morocco. This balancing act will undoubtedly be put to the check throughout Emmanuel Macron’s go to to Rabat from October 28 to 30, a chance conducive to a diplomatic clarification.

The CJEU, in its judgments, recalled that Western Sahara enjoys a “separate and distinct status” in relation to Morocco, in accordance with the precept of self-determination. The Court considers that any settlement together with this territory requires the consent of the Sahrawi folks.

However, the Luxembourg judges opened the door to implicit consent, offered that two circumstances are met: the settlement should not create obligations for the Sahrawi folks and should present “precise, substantial and verifiable” advantages for them. -this.

The ball is now within the courtroom of the European Commission. How to reconcile the authorized necessities of the CJEU with the financial and geopolitical realities of a strategic area? The Dutchman Peter van Dalen, MEP from the sovereignist ECR group, questions the existence of a “plan B” from the Commission, whereas the Greens ask how the Commission intends to seek the advice of the representatives of the Sahrawi folks to adjust to the ‘cease. The problem is critical, and the way forward for EU-Morocco relations is dependent upon it.