EU ambassadors on Wednesday authorised the European Commission to open negotiations with Morocco on a new fisheries deal, after the previous one was struck down in court.
In 2024, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that the EU-Morocco fisheries and agricultural agreements breached the right to consent of the people of the disputed Western Sahara.
The region, formerly a Spanish colony, has been mostly occupied by Morocco since 1975 and is recognised by the UN as a non-self-governing territory.
In a controversial move, the Commission amended the agricultural deal in late 2025 to make it comply with the ruling. It is now set to launch talks with Rabat for a brand-new agreement for fish.
EU countries have empowered the EU executive to negotiate both a sustainable fisheries’ partnership agreement (SFPA) – the general framework for cooperation – and an implementing protocol granting EU vessels access to Moroccan waters.
Brussels’ most recent protocol with Morocco expired in 2023, meaning that the EU fleet has not operated in those waters since then. Before that, the vast majority of the EU’s catches – above 90% – were taken in Western Saharan waters, according to an EU report.
Europêche, representing EU fishers, is eager for talks with Rabat to begin and unlock the stand-off.
The lobby said a new deal is key “at a time when alternative fishing opportunities are becoming increasingly scarce, whether due to reduced access in European waters or to unsustainable fishing practices by third countries”.
EU scrambles to save Morocco deal with controversial Western Sahara clause
The Commission has proposed amending its trade deal with Morocco to comply with an EU…
3 minutes
(adm, jp)