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Western Sahara


Misleading and false INTA report as basis for Parliamentary vote
The report of the Parliament’s International Trade Committee (INTA) that serves as a basis for the vote on the extension of the EU-Morocco trade deal into occupied Western Sahara contains highly misleading and false claims.
Time for EU to stop being bystander in Western Sahara
The EU has sadly afforded preferential treatment to Morocco’s illegal occupation of Western Sahara including by knowingly excluding from the trade talks the thousands of Saharawis forced to live in exile in refugee camps as a result of the occupation.
EU Court confirms: Western Sahara not part of EU-Morocco fish deal
For a third consecutive time in less than three years, the Court of Justice of the European Union has confirmed that the EU’s policy of incorporating Western Sahara into its bilateral agreements with Morocco is unlawful.
EU fisheries deal with Morocco sparks criticism over inclusion of Western Sahara waters
A fresh legal row may be brewing over the EU’s trade links with Morocco, after the two sides finalised a controversial new fisheries agreement, following almost three months of negotiations.
Morocco, EU finalize new fisheries agreement
Morocco and the European Union have finalized a new fisheries agreement.
Caught fishing illegally in occupied Western Sahara
Several EU-flagged vessels have blatantly ignored and violated the EU Court judgment invalidating the EU-Morocco fish agreement in Western Sahara.
Polisario condemns Council’s approval of Western Sahara trade deal
The Western Sahara liberation movement, Frente Polisario, has issued a statement condemning today’s EU Council decision to include Western Sahara in the Morocco trade agreement.
The Commission’s proposals to correct EU-Morocco relations and the EU’s obligation not to recognise as lawful the ‘illegal situation’ in Western Sahara
The proposals violate the EU and its Member States’ obligation of non-recognition of Morocco’s breaches: the right to self-determination of people, the prohibition on aggression, and some of the ‘intransgressible rules’ of international humanitarian law.
EU-Morocco deal: EU is misguiding the Member States, warns WSRW
The Commission tries to misguide the Member States concerning the consultation process launched to "comply" with the European Court of Justice, which had rejected the inclusion of Western Sahara in the EU-Morocco Association Agreement.
EU Parliament critical of Commission’s Western Sahara approach
The EU Commission received heavy critique from the European Parliament for its suggestion to include occupied Western Sahara in a trade deal with Morocco.
EU-Morocco fishing agreement’s renegotiation: Polisario Front brings action for annulment
The Polisario Front brought an action for annulment of the Council of the European Union’s decision, which allows the European Commission to open negotiations with Rabat to extend EU-Morocco fishing agreement to Western Sahara.
This is how the Commission proposes to deal with Western Sahara trade
The EU Commission has today presented its suggested trade arrangement for occupied Western Sahara, which still requires the approval of the EU Member States and the EU Parliament.
EU-Morocco fishing deal: Sahrawi people’s consent indispensable if their territory is included (WSRW)
The Western Sahara Resource Watch stressed that the Sahrawi people’s consent is indispensable in any a trade agreement between the European Union and Morocco.
EU-Morocco fisheries agreement: European Commission will abide by CJEU’s ruling
In this regard, Federica Mogherini said that the Commission "has taken note" of the CJEU’s ruling and is examining it in order to determine the consequences and possible actions to be taken.
Court in confusion – the EU and Western Sahara
Representatives of the Polisario Front, the independence movement which claims to represent the people of Western Sahara, say that talks should now start on a separate EU-Western Sahara agreement.
European justice dictates that the fisheries pact with Morocco does not apply to Western Sahara
The Luxembourg court validates the EU-Morocco fisheries pact, but excludes Western Sahara because that area is not part of the Kingdom of Morocco
Sweden to vote against new EU-Morocco fish talks
"Sweden considers that the proposed mandate does not meet the requirements of international law", the official government statement reads.
EU, Morocco sign trade deal, seemingly ignore Western Sahara
The document ignores the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) of Dec. 21 2016, which stated that Western Sahara is a “separate and distinct” territory from Morocco.
EU-Morocco fish deal should be declared invalid: EU court adviser
The European Union’s fisheries agreement with Morocco should be declared invalid because it includes the disputed territory of Western Sahara, an adviser to the EU’s top court said.
EU Commission eying new fish deal including Western Sahara
Not awaiting the EU Court of Justice’s verdict on the legality of the current fisheries protocol with Morocco over the inclusion of Western Sahara’s waters, the EU Commission is already thinking out loud about its successor.