EU and Morocco Trade Agreements Canceled, Polisario Victory

[CEZAYIRLI]

EU and Morocco trade agreements canceled, Polisario victory

remonews.com

EU and Morocco Trade Agreements Canceled, Polisario Victory​

World 09/29/2021

The European Court of Justice has annulled two trade agreements between the European Union and Morocco. It concerns the treaties for the importation of fish and agricultural products from the North African country. The sentence follows an appeal filed by Polisario, the independence movement fighting for self-determination in the disputed Western Sahara.

Polisario believes that Morocco does not have the right to export tomatoes grown in Western Sahara to the EU. Furthermore, according to the movement, no concessions should be made to European fishermen to fish in the waters of Western Sahara. They also believe that the trade in these products should benefit the people of Western Sahara.

However, Morocco considers the region an integral part of its territory and does not see the movement as a legitimate government. The European Court has now ruled that the Polisario is indeed an interested party and that Morocco must be transparent about which products come from Western Sahara.

parliamentary questions

In July of this year, parliamentarians Gert-Jan Segers (ChristenUnie) and Roelof Bisschop (SGP) asked the then foreign minister Sigrid Kaag for an explanation on the labeling of products from the disputed areas.

Since Morocco labels Western Sahara goods as “Moroccan products”

;, they can be bought from European countries at a cheaper price. For example, these products end up on Dutch supermarket shelves without it being clear that they were produced in Western Sahara.


Appeal

The ruling of the European Court will not take effect immediately. In this way, the rights of importers and exporters are guaranteed and the EU and Morocco have the opportunity to appeal the ruling. Morocco has since announced that it will do so. Morocco and the EU stated in a joint statement that they will continue to work for the stability and legal regulation of their trade relations.

The human rights organization Codesa, which works for the Sahrawi population in Western Sahara, is satisfied with the ruling of the European Court of Justice. In a statement, the organization said the area is occupied by Morocco and that only Sahrawis have exclusive rights to the proceeds of Western Sahara’s natural resources.

Codesa points out that Polisario is internationally recognized as a representative of the Sahrawi people. The organization asks the European Union to ban European companies from “illegal trade” in goods from Western Sahara and to negotiate a new trade agreement with the Polisario.

escalation conflict

In November last year, a 29-year truce between Morocco and the Polisario was broken after military action by Morocco. That country was responding to a roadblock set up in the city of Guerguerat by Polisario sympathizers. For weeks, therefore, 200 Moroccan truckers were unable to deliver goods to Mauritania, further south.

Soon after, former US President Donald Trump signed a decree recognizing Western Sahara as a Moroccan territory. Since then, Morocco has tried to persuade other countries to follow this American decision.

President Joe Biden’s administration has not overturned the decision, but has indicated that it does not want to pursue Trump’s line. The Americans first want a new agreement to be reached through the United Nations to end the armed conflict in Western Sahara.