La UE afirma querer mantener sus acuerdos con Marruecos

The European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, has just revealed in a press release that the European Union (EU) is interested in continuing to maintain economic agreements with Morocco. The document confirms that the 27 members of the European confederation want to continue their commitments with the Alawi kingdom.

"The European Commission confirms its adherence to the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement and to the agreement in the form of an exchange of letters between the European Union and Morocco on the amendment of Protocols 1 and 4 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement," the European Commissioner said in the document.

This is an agreement signed by the two territories and entered into force in 2000. In it, both the EU and the Kingdom were to fulfil the objective of providing an appropriate basis for political dialogue, developing any kind of close relationship and coordination, as well as establishing a series of trade agreements. For its part, Morocco would have to promote trade and the expansion of this relationship, as well as encourage the integration of the Maghreb countries into these treaties.

It was a prosperous agreement, with both sides benefiting from each other in every way. But the pact was struck down by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), which dealt a severe blow to the diplomatic relations achieved between the two regions. The European court ruled in favour of the Polisario Front and its struggle for the independence of Western Sahara from the Alawi country. The organisation had already lodged three appeals for annulment several years ago, claiming that the Sahara is one of the most heavily exploited areas for fishing and agriculture, and that 128 European ships are working in the region because of the trade agreement

The court ruling was a setback for the EU and Morocco, although they have already appealed the ruling and the trial has yet to take place. Both Josep Borrell, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Policy, and Nasser Bourita, the Kingdom's Foreign Minister, have assured that they will work together to re-establish the pact in a calm manner.

Pending the appeal, Sinkevičius says it is very important to re-establish this union and hopes that the court will reverse its position. "The CJEU judgment maintained, in case of appeal, the effects of the Council's decisions until the Court had ruled on the appeals. Therefore, the implementation of the agreements will continue during this period, but beyond that, the situation will of course depend on the final judgment of the Court of Justice on the appeals," the Commissioner added. 

On the other hand, the EU's willingness to reinstate the agreements means that they are officially recognising Morocco's sovereignty over the territory of Western Sahara. In the press release, the Lithuanian commissioner used diplomatic language on the situation. "The EU's position on Western Sahara is guided by UN Security Council resolutions and the fact is that Western Sahara is a non-self-governing territory whose final status will be determined by the outcome of the ongoing UN-led process" said Sinkevičius.

The United Nations, today, continues to fail to resolve this conflict and, as the European Commissioner stated, the UN's position is to declare this region a "non-self-governing territory".