Maghreb Edition

European court rejects Morocco-EU trade deals involving Western Sahara territoryF



Posted On 29 September 2021

Number of times this article was read : 522

Reactions

The Polisario, which seeks independence in the Western Sahara, welcomed a ruling Wednesday by the U’s top court cancelling trade deals that allow Morocco to export goods from the territory. “The European court has decided to annul the partnership and fishing accords between the EU and Morocco,” the movement’s EU envoy Oubi Bachir tweeted. “A great victory for the Sahrawi people!”

In Rabat, Morocco and the European Union said Wednesday they would continue their trade partnership. “We will take the necessary measure to ensure a legal framework that guarantees the continuation and stability of trade relations between the EU and the Kingdom of Morocco,” the bloc’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said in a joint statement.

AFP

The EU’s top court on Wednesday cancelled two trade deals with Morocco, for agricultural products and fish from disputed Western Sahara, after a case brought by the Polisaro independence movement. The court “annuls the (European) Council decisions concerning, first, the agreement between the European Union and Morocco amending the tariff preferences granted by the European Union to products of Moroccan origin and, second, the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement,” the EU’s Court of Justice said in a statement. The accords will remain in place for two months in order to “preserve the European Union’s external action and legal certainty over its international commitments”, it said.

Morocco views Western Sahara as an integral part of its territory, but the UN views the former Spanish colony as a “non-autonomous territory” and the Polisario, backed by Algeria, has long sought its independence. Morocco controls around 80 percent of the territory and has offered autonomy, while insisting it must retain sovereignty. At stake are an overland route to West African markets, rich phosphate resources and Atlantic fisheries along the territory’s 1,100-kilometre (680-mile) coastline.

The EU court in Luxembourg ruled that by extending trade deals with Morocco southwards into the former Spanish colony “without the consent of the people of Western Sahara, the Council infringed the European Union’s obligations in the context of its relations with Morocco under EU and international law”.

After the court ruling, Morocco and the European Union issuing a joint statement underlining that their trade partnership would continue. “We will take the necessary measure to ensure a legal framework that guarantees the continuation and stability of trade relations between the EU and the Kingdom of Morocco,” the bloc’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said.

AFP

Podcast: Development Without Aid: Power, Politics, and Local Resilience in the Global South$

A conversation with Dr. Kate Schecter, President and CEO of World Neighbors, on how community-led development works in practice across the Global South.

Subscribe to Urgent Notifications and Newsletter

Most Recent Stories from the Region

Morocco Steps Up Tangier Crackdown on Undocumented Migrants$

Moroccan authorities are tightening their grip on irregular migration in and around the northern city of Tangier, stepping up raids and mass arrests of sub‑Saharan migrants who use the region as a launchpad toward Europe.

North African Countries Among World’s Cheapest for Gasoline, Lead Global Rankings$

North African countries currently rank among the cheapest places in the world to buy gasoline, according to international price data published in late April 2026. The global average pump price for gasoline stood at around $1.49 per liter, while several North African producers were charging less than half that level. Libya, Algeria and Egypt all sit among the most affordable markets globally — though two non-African countries, Venezuela and Iran, rank between Libya and the rest of the African group in the worldwide table.

Libya: A drifting Russian gas tanker threatens the Mediterranean$

Since March 3, 2026, the Russian LNG tanker Arctic Metagaz, 277 meters long, has been drifting off the Libyan coast. Loaded with 62,000 tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG), 900 tons of diesel, and 450 tons of heavy fuel oil, it poses the risk of an environmental disaster for the Mediterranean basin. Amid repeated failures to tow the vessel, accusations of Ukrainian sabotage, and the powerlessness of Libyan authorities, the Mediterranean is on high alert.

Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.