Spain moves closer to renewed fishing and agricultural agreements with Morocco

Tuesday 14 October 2025 - 11:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Spain moves closer to renewed fishing and agricultural agreements with Morocco

Spain’s Minister of Agriculture, Fishing, and Food, Luis Planas, expressed optimism about reaching a new fishing agreement with Morocco in the near future. Speaking in Congress during a response to questions from the Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) party, Planas emphasized the importance of EU agreements with third countries in providing opportunities for the community fleet.

This statement comes a year after the European Union Court of Justice (ECJ) annulled Morocco’s agricultural and fishing agreements, citing concerns over the interests of the Sahara population. The decision disrupted an already interrupted fishing agreement while temporarily extending the commercial agreement for 12 months with subsequent modifications.

Recently, the EU Council of Ministers approved provisional adjustments to the trade agreement covering agricultural and fishery products, separate from the fleet access agreement that expired in 2023. Planas highlighted that these adaptations address product origin and the impact of activities on Saharan populations, ensuring compliance with the ECJ rulings.

He added that the modifications hold strategic significance for EU-Morocco relations and also addressed sectoral concerns such as quotas, fishing bans in the Northeast Atlantic, and the European Commission’s proposed 2028-2034 budget, which currently threatens a 67% reduction in certain fishing funds.

Renewed EU-Morocco agreement

After extensive negotiations, Morocco and the EU reached a compromise renewing their agricultural agreement, which had been annulled by the ECJ. Morocco’s ambassador to the EU, Ahmed Réda Chami, signed the amendment protocol in Brussels on October 3. The European Commission welcomed the agreement, noting it strengthens long-standing ties and preserves preferential tariffs for Moroccan products in the European market.

Despite approval, the agreement has faced criticism from Spain’s far-right Vox party. Ricardo Chamorro, Vox’s spokesperson for Agriculture and Ecological Transition, accused the government of prioritizing European and Moroccan interests over Spanish farmers, claiming the policy jeopardizes domestic agriculture while favoring imports lacking local labor and environmental standards.

The agreement includes products from the Sahara, labeled as originating from the Southern Provinces, granting them the same access conditions and preferential tariffs as other Moroccan goods. Morocco’s Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita, welcomed the deal, citing EU recognition of Morocco’s credible efforts and support from several member states for the Moroccan autonomy initiative.

Former MEP Aymeric Chauprade noted that Morocco now negotiates from a position of strength, making clear that any agreement must include the Sahara. The provisional deal reinforces cooperation, restores trust between Rabat and Brussels, and counters the ECJ ruling, which many European figures criticized as exceeding the court’s jurisdiction.