EU Commissioner for Fisheries Maria Damanaki issued a short statement saying that "real and gradual progress is being made".
Sources close to the Commission claim that differences on the financial chapter are the hurdle that remains to be taken.
"It is astounding that the financial part of the accord seems to present a bigger obstacle to the Commission than the risk of backing up an illegal occupation", says Sara Eyckmans, coordinator of Western Sahara Resource Watch. Only three weeks ago, Morocco's Minister for Communication, Mustapha el Khalfi, remarked that agreements that do not separate between Morocco and Western Sahara, prove that the Sahara is in fact Moroccan.
The Spanish government and the Spanish fish sector - the main interested parties for a new agreement - have been lobbying hard for Commissioner Damanaki to come up with a new fisheries regime that is both acceptable to Morocco and to the European Parliament.
In December 2011, the European Parliament repudiated the renewal of the agreement due to concerns on its economic viability, sustainability and legality, in terms of respecting the right to self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.
Global Diligence defends operations on occupied land
The legal advisory firm Global Diligence, which presents itself as expert on ‘heightened due diligence’, misrepresents international law in occupied Western Sahara.
MEPs shocked by Commission's Western Sahara bypass
In a hearing at the European Parliament earlier this week, lawmakers expressed outrage at how the Commission sidestepped them to push through a new agreement covering occupied Western Sahara, in violation of EU Court rulings.
EU pushes secretive Morocco trade deal covering Western Sahara
As EU ambassadors give their green light to a new Morocco trade deal, the public is still denied access to the very agreement they are voting on - a striking case of secrecy in Brussels.
"A declaration of war" - new EU agreement reactions
A wave of reactions is rippling across Europe following the news that the EU is moving ahead with a new trade agreement in occupied Western Sahara. The vote is scheduled for tomorrow.