Morocco – EU Fisheries Agreement: The Court of Justice of the EU holds its hearings – On 23 and 24 October, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) will hold hearings in the two appeals lodged by the European Commission and the Council against the judgments of the Court of First Instance which, at the request of the Polisario Front, annulled the new EU-Morocco fisheries agreement and the agreement on tariff preferences in 2021.
In its December 2016 ruling, the CJEU put an end to the “de facto application” of the EU-Morocco agreements in the Kingdom’s southern provinces. The current agreement between the European Union (EU) and Morocco entered into force on 18 July 2019, allowing the EU fleet, suspended since 14 July 2018, to resume its activities.
However, in 2021, the Court of First Instance annulled the Council decision approving the conclusion of the EU-Morocco partnership agreement on sustainable fisheries and its protocol. However, it preserved its effects until the CJEU rules on the appeals brought by the Council and the Commission against the Court’s judgment.
The application of this protocol expired on 17 July, which, in the absence of a new agreement pending the ruling of the CJEU, led to a further suspension of the fleet’s activities.
Morocco – EU fisheries agreement: The Court of Justice of the EU holds its hearings
