Renegotiation of EU-Morocco agreements: Bargaining infringes CJEU’s decision

The Green Group in the European Parliament denounced Monday the continuation of negotiations between the European Union (EU) and Morocco aimed at circumventing the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union, underlining that this bargaining infringes the decision of the Court and the international law.

“By legitimating Morocco’s continued exploitation of the natural resources of Western Sahara, EU seems to be engaged in a trade negotiation process which directly infringes the decision of the Court of Justice and the fundamental principles of international law,” wrote the European deputies Florent Marcellesi, Bodil Valero, Barbara Lochbihler, Pascal Durand, Bart Staes et Margrete Auken in the blog of the Green Group of the European Parliament.

These Euro-deputies consider that the continuation of EU-Morocco negotiations aim at “normalizing the occupation of Western Sahara,” pointing out that neither the United Nations, nor any State member of the European Union recognizes the alleged sovereignty of Morocco over this territory.

The European commission obtained in May from EU’s member States a mandate to re-examine the liberalisation agreement with Morocco to include products coming the occupied territories of Western Sahara.

 (SPS)