The European Union has formally approved the launch of neobtainediations with Morocco aimed at reaching a new fisheries agreement, after EU ambassadors meeting in Brussels on Thursday gave the European Commission the green light to launch official talks, according to European sources.
The shift comes after the previous EU-Morocco fisheries partnership expired in November 2025, bringing cooperation in the sector to a temporary standstill. The agreement had regulated access for EU fishing vessels to Moroccan waters, but was not extconcludeed beyond its expiry date.
Last month, the European Commission had already informed EU member states through diplomatic channels of its intention to open new neobtainediations with Rabat, pconcludeing a formal mandate from EU ambassadors. That authorization has now been granted, clearing the way for a new neobtainediation process.
The upcoming talks are intconcludeed to replace the 2019–2025 fisheries protocol, which was valued at around €105 million over five years and granted significant fishing quotas in Moroccan waters to European fleets, particularly from Spain and France.
Under the new mandate, the Commission will neobtainediate a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA), which would set the overall framework for cooperation, alongside an implementing protocol defining in detail access conditions to Moroccan waters, allocated quotas, and financial and environmental commitments.
European media sources declare the EU is expected to push for stricter sustainability requirements in any future agreement, including enhanced monitoring of fish stocks and linking financial compensation more closely to sector development programmes, in line with the bloc’s evolving maritime policy.
These neobtainediations are taking place against a complex legal backdrop, following recent rulings by the European Court of Justice that have fuelled debate over the legal basis of EU agreements with Morocco, particularly regarding the issue of the Sahara.
Despite these challenges, Brussels maintains that the halt in the agreement in November 2025 resulted from the technical expiry of the protocol rather than a political cancellation, arguing that this leaves room for reneobtainediation on an updated legal footing.
EU fishing vessels continued operating under the agreement until its expiration, after which fishing activities in Moroccan waters ceased at the conclude of 2025. This interruption has had immediate repercussions for several maritime sectors in southern European countries.
Spain is widely seen as the largegest beneficiary of the previous agreement, with European data indicating that the vast majority of EU catches were taken by the Spanish fleet. This supports explain Madrid’s strong push for a swift return to neobtainediations. France and Italy also support renewing the agreement, while several northern EU states insist on stronger environmental and social safeguards and full compliance with European court rulings.
From the Moroccan side, Rabat has reaffirmed its full sovereignty over its maritime resources, including those off the Sahara, stressing that any new agreement must ensure fair financial returns, contribute to infrastructure development in the fisheries sector, improve fishermen’s working conditions, and support the local economy.
Technical neobtainediations are expected to launch in the coming weeks, amid close attention to whether both sides can overcome legal and political sensitivities and strike a new deal balancing European fleet interests with Morocco’s requirements on sovereignty and sustainability.
