One of Europe’s largest confederations of professional fishermen, Spain’s CEPESCA, is vociferously advocating for the plight of those to be imminently left in the dark when the Morocco-EU fisheries agreement expires this coming Monday.
Though the Spanish government has allocated funding for those affected, CEPESCA wants to delineate in advance the specifics terms of the aid, in urging that the amount should reflect the duration of time in which those involved have recently conducted their business in the affected waters, so that the compensation is proportionately fair to individuals affected.
In contrast, the government has expressed an intent so far only to provide a uniform lump sum. In addition, its own scope of who is eligible to qualify for the aid is narrower and more subjective, defined only as those who have utilized the waters for a “reasonable period” of time.
In addition, vessels which have exhausted six months of aid for temporary cessation would not be permitted to benefit from any additional aid under the government’s plan. This would, it is argued, unduly affect the Andalusian fleet, in particular. Therefore, other types of assistance are necessary.
The confederation has also asked for an exemption from the need to present an Employment Regulation File (ERE) in order to gain access to the monetary compensation.
In a statement, CEPESCA has requested that the negotiators of the aforementioned agreement define as soon as possible the technical conditions necessary for and impediments hindering renewal.
This statement concludes, “The European fishing sector regrets the expiration of this agreement, given its importance and significance in the history of relations between the EU, Spain, and Morocco.”