Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 173: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will guarantee that he will not support any move to allow the EU-Morocco fisheries partnership agreement to return to the EU's agenda. [9616/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In January 2012, the EU Commission introduced a draft negotiating mandate for a new protocol for the EU Morocco Fisheries Agreement. The mandate sought to conclude a protocol which would oblige Morocco to comply with international law and to report regularly on its use of the funds for the population concerned, including the people of the Western Sahara.

Following discussions, Ireland supported a Presidency compromise subject to a joint statement with Germany and Slovenia to the effect:-

"Germany, Ireland and Slovenia would have preferred an explicit reference to Western Sahara in the mandate. Germany's, Ireland's and Slovenia's acceptance of the mandate does not, in any way, pre-empt our final position on any draft Protocol that will eventually be submitted for approval. The attitude of each of the above Member States to the draft Protocol will be determined by the extent to which the rights of the people of Western Sahara are protected in accordance with international law and the extent of the related reporting requirements that must be fulfilled by Morocco"

Any decision on Ireland supporting the future ratification of new protocol to the FPA with Morocco will be made having due consideration to all issues and in particular the qualifications outlined in this statement.