Concerns Over EU-Morocco Trade Agreements
On June 21, 2026, the Sahrawi Observatory for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection (SONREP) raised significant concerns regarding the European Commission's reported efforts to incorporate agricultural products from the occupied region of Western Sahara into trade agreements with Morocco. This initiative, reportedly spearheaded by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, has been criticized for its lack of transparency and institutional oversight, undermining the unique legal status of Western Sahara as established by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).
In an official statement, SONREP highlighted previous judgments issued by the CJEU in 2016, 2018, and 2021, which were reaffirmed in its final rulings of 2024. These rulings clearly state that no agreements between the European Union and Morocco can be applied to Western Sahara or its rich natural resources without the explicit consent of the Sahrawi people, who are represented by the Polisario Front. The observatory emphasized that any move to include products sourced from the occupied territory into EU-Morocco trade arrangements would not only violate European and international law but also facilitate the unlawful exploitation of the region's resources without the approval of its rightful inhabitants.
SONREP has called upon European Union institutions to uphold the court's rulings and to cease any policies or arrangements that aim to legitimize the exploitation of natural resources in occupied Western Sahara. The observatory firmly asserts that any attempts to bypass international law or judicial decisions cannot alter the legal status of Western Sahara, nor can they provide legitimacy to the exploitation of its wealth. They reiterated that Western Sahara is not a part of Morocco, and its natural resources are the exclusive property of the Sahrawi people.
As reported by spsrasd.info.
