France strengthens its cooperation with Morocco and its support for Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara
France is currently a very close ally of Morocco, especially after the decision by the French government, led by Emmanuel Macron, to support the North African country's autonomy plan for Western Sahara as the most serious, credible and realistic option for resolving the Sahrawi dispute, which has been going on for almost five decades since the end of Spanish colonial rule.
Morocco attaches great importance to the Sahrawi territory because it considers it part of its southern provinces and seeks its definitive inclusion in the Moroccan state structure.
In 2007, Morocco presented its autonomy plan for Western Sahara to the United Nations (UN) with the aim of granting the Sahrawis broad self-government within Moroccan sovereignty, respecting UN resolutions with the aim of developing the area to its full potential. Since then, the North African country has gained the support of more than 100 countries for its initiative, including major powers such as the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Spain and France itself.
France announced its support for Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara in July 2024, and in October of that year, President Emmanuel Macron made an official visit to Rabat at the invitation of King Mohammed VI of Morocco to demonstrate French support and affirm that the present and future of Western Sahara fall within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty.
Since then, relations between the two countries have grown closer, and France has shown strong support for Morocco on the issue of sovereignty over Western Sahara and in promoting investment and development in the Sahrawi territory.
France has recently shown repeated interest in investing in the Sahara and promoting the development of the territory under Moroccan sovereignty. In fact, in January 2026, the Director General of the French Development Agency, Rémy Rioux, confirmed in Rabat, after a meeting with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, the agency's commitment to implementing the commitments made during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Morocco in October 2024, particularly with regard to development projects in the so-called southern provinces of Morocco.
Products from the Sahara and European legislation
France continues to insist on this approach, although it also acknowledges the existence of legal debates within the European Union (EU) regarding the exploitation of products from Western Sahara and the labelling of agricultural products from the so-called southern provinces of Morocco.
In this vein, an official response was received from the French Ministry of Economy and Finance to a parliamentary question on the origin of agricultural products marketed in the European market and grown in regions such as Dakhla, which are part of the so-called southern provinces of Morocco.
The French government thus reaffirms its commitment to supporting Morocco's economic and social development efforts in the Sahara, within the framework of the strengthened strategic partnership between the two countries, as reported by various media outlets such as Rue 20 Maroc.
All of this shows that Paris attaches great importance to its ties with Rabat and that there is mutual interest in strengthening bilateral cooperation in the political and economic spheres.
Emmanuel Macron's France continues to reiterate that the present and future of Western Sahara falls within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty and that the French state will continue to support the development efforts promoted by the Moroccan kingdom for the benefit of the Sahrawi population.
The reaffirmation of this position is related to the response to a question posed by La France Insoumise MP René Pilato to the Minister of Economy and Finance.
The MP asked the government about the labelling of the country of origin ‘Morocco’ on certain agricultural products, such as melons and tomatoes grown in Dakhla and marketed on the European market.
Beyond the legal aspect, the French government's response unambiguously reaffirms Paris' political position that the present and future of the Sahara fall within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty.
The French Executive also emphasises its commitment to the reinforced exceptional partnership with Morocco and its determination to continue deepening it.
France also reiterated its commitment to supporting Morocco's efforts to promote the economic and social development of the Sahara, highlighting the direct impact of these projects on the living conditions of local populations.
With regard to the labelling of agricultural products, the French Government specified that the application of the CJEU's case law should be the subject of discussions at European level, in consultation with the Moroccan authorities. The stated objective is to reach a practical, lasting and viable solution for economic operators, while respecting the legal framework of the European Union. This comes in response to René Pilato's question regarding the labelling of products in relation to their origin, as some labels indicate Morocco as the country of origin, which could lead to problems given the European court ruling that states that the origin of a product is not limited to a single state, but may also affect territories with a specific status, and highlights the need to ensure clear and transparent information for European consumers.