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The European Court of Justice ruled that Morocco did not obtain the consent of the people of Western Sahara required for the trade treaty.
The European Court of Justice on Wednesday declared the EU and Morocco’s agricultural and fisheries trade agreements invalid, saying that these agreements were reached without the consent of the people of Western Sahara.
The EU and Morocco issued a joint statement reiterating that they will take action to ensure the continuity of bilateral trade.
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Britta and EU’s highest diplomat Josep Borel stated in the communiqué that they will “take the necessary measures to ensure the establishment of a legal framework that guarantees the continuity and stability of EU-Moroccan trade”.
According to the 27 member states, the European Union is the largest trading partner and major foreign investor of the Kingdom of North Africa.
Morocco and Spain are the countries most affected by the European Court of Justice rulings.
Morocco will lose 52 million euros (US$60 million) per year for four years, only due to the cancellation of the fisheries agreement. The initial agreement will allow 128 vessels from 11 EU countries to fish in the waters off the coast of West Africa. Ninety-two of them are Spanish ships.
Western Sahara is an area rich in minerals and is the main contention point of this North African country. Rabat regards Western Sahara as its territory, but neighboring Algeria supports the Western Sahara independence movement known as the Polisario Front.
Since the end of Spanish colonial rule in 1975, Polisario has been seeking independence for the region.
“EU countries and the United Kingdom colluded to include Western Sahara in a trade agreement with Morocco to legalize the Moroccan occupation and provide material support-this violates international law,” said War on Want, a non-profit organization focused on social justice, in the European Court of Justice. Said in a statement after the ruling.
War on Want added that EU countries have a legal obligation to stop normalization, consolidate the occupation and profit from the occupation.
In 1991, Morocco and the Polisario Front agreed to a ceasefire agreement facilitated by the United Nations and invited a mission to monitor the peace.
Activists supporting Polisario are still trying to challenge the EU-Morocco trade agreement in court because it includes desert areas.
The European Union General Court, the second highest court of the group, ruled on Wednesday that the Polisario Front was “recognized internationally as a representative of the people of Western Sahara” and that the group had not obtained the consent of the Saharan people before reaching a deal with the Saharan people. Morocco.
From #萨哈拉 Refugee camp, thanks #European_Court . Thank you message from the Sahara refugee camp #European_court . pic.twitter.com/0qkSilwRoo
– with. Oubi Bachir (@oubibachir) September 29, 2021
Oubi Bachir, Polisario’s representative to the European Union, celebrated the “great victory in the desert” in a message on Twitter.
The court stated that the cancellation of the transaction will not take effect immediately, but will only take effect two months after the appeal is filed or after a final decision is made in the case of an appeal.
Morocco offered autonomy to Western Sahara, but Algeria and the Polisario Front refused. They insisted on a referendum to promise independence.
The United States recognized Rabat’s sovereignty over Western Sahara last year, and more than 20 mainly African and Arab countries have opened consulates in the territory.
The European Court of Justice ruled in February 2018 that the fisheries agreement between the EU and Morocco cannot include the Western Sahara waters.
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