Have you heard that the european justice has knocked down the fishing agreement between the EU and Morocco? You may have many doubts about it. Do not worry, in this article we present the keys in a concise way so that you understand it yes or yes. Do you want to know what is happening in Europe-Morocco relations? Keep reading.
How it all started?
El General Court of the European Union (TEU) knocked down the fishing agreement existing between the EU and Morocco last Wednesday, September 29. It did so by virtue of the breach of both parties of international law. How can this be? To understand it we have to go back to 1975. With Franco dying, King Hassan II of Morocco sent 350.000 Moroccan civilians to cross the border of Western Sahara. The operation is known as "The green march".
The Saharawi territory was one more province of Spain, which retained it to exploit its mines of phosphates and defend the coast of the Canary Islands. Once Spain withdrew (it had other problems after Franco's death) a war between the Moroccan army and the Sahrawis. These are organized into a political party called Polisario Front, which has played an important role in the ruling on the fishing agreement. Once the war is over, Morocco promises a self-determination referendum that has not yet arrived. The Alawite kingdom has occupied most of the territory since then.
Meanwhile, the European Union negotiated fishing in the rich waters off the Saharawi coast with Morocco. In addition, Farm products produced within occupied Western Sahara were categorized as Moroccan products. This is when the Polisario Front comes in, which imposes a lawsuit on the TUE. He accuses Morocco of plundering the natural resources of a territory pending decolonization by the UN.
The judgment on the fishing agreement
The TUE accepted the claim and issued a judgment. Ensures that a fisheries agreement on the Sahara waters signed with Morocco (the administering power) does not violate per se el international right. However, it also ruled that "the requirement regarding the consent of the people of Western Sahara has not been respected." The EU Council, made up of the ministers of the Member States, expressed a different position.
The leaders assure that they already asked the Saharawi people at the time. They also deny the legitimacy of the Polisario Front as spokesperson for this town. The court's position is different. "It cannot be considered that the steps taken by the EU authorities before the agreements were concluded made it possible to obtain the consent" of the Saharawi people.
What is going to happen?
The fisheries agreement will remain in force for a period of time not exceeding two months. This is to 'preserve the Union's external action and the legal security of their international commitments ”. During the two months, the affected parties may file appeals until the case is fully resolved. If so, the current fisheries agreement between the EU and Morocco, which includes the waters of Western Sahara, can be extended. And you? How about the EU sending its ships to the only colony left in Africa while paying 52 million euros a year to Morocco?
