The European Commission has given the green light to a proposal that sets the stage for negotiations on a new fishing agreement between the European Union and Morocco. This announcement was made by European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, on Tuesday during a session with the Spanish Parliament. Addressing the joint committee of the Congress and Senate on EU affairs, Kadis introduced a «negotiation mandate» that must be approved by the governments of the EU member states to commence talks with Rabat. Prior to his address to lawmakers, Kadis discussed the «new negotiation mandate with Morocco» in a meeting with Spain's Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, Luis Planas. According to the Spanish news agency EFE, the European Commissioner later confirmed the initiative in response to a question from Deputy Agustín Santos Maraver (Sumar), who raised concerns about Morocco's growing ties with Russia in the fishing sector. This agreement has long been a crucial framework for Spain, allowing numerous Iberian vessels to fish in Moroccan waters. The previous fishing protocol, which expired in July 2023, permitted 138 EU vessels, including 92 Spanish ones, primarily from Andalusia (47) and the Canary Islands (38), to obtain licenses. In this light, Kadis sees the new negotiations as a pivotal step forward, especially following the European Court of Justice's ruling a year ago. In October 2024, the court delivered a final verdict rejecting the European Commission's appeals regarding agricultural and fishing agreements with Morocco, including those related to the Sahara. This decision upheld the September 29, 2021 ruling in the case against the Polisario. At that time, Spain promptly reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining a «strategic partnership» with Morocco. Nevertheless, a year later, significant advancements were made concerning the Sahara issue. On October 31, 2025, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2797, endorsing Morocco's autonomy initiative in the southern provinces under the kingdom's sovereignty, based on the plan proposed by Rabat in 2007.
