Brussels, Oct 24 2017] – The European Parliament will today vote on the EU-Morocco Euro-Mediterranean aviation deal, The proposed deal includes the territory of the Western Sahara in violation of EU law. Commenting ahead of the vote, POLISARIO EU Representative Mohammed Sidati, said:
“This is yet another example of EU lawmakers seeking to sideline EU law for the sake of ties with Morocco, which bolsters an illegal occupation, violates the international legal rights of the Sahrawi people, and undermines the UN-led political process. Morocco has neither sovereignty nor jurisdiction over the territory of Western Sahara. As the European Court of Justice made clear in December 2016, the EU cannot be party to deals with Morocco which include the ‘separate and distinct’ territory of Western Sahara. Any such agreements require as a matter of law the independent consent of the Sahrawi people.
«It is clear that this legislation has not been part of an open and transparent process. As the legitimate representatives of the Sahrawi people, our consent has not been sought, nor have we been informed or consulted about the proposed deal. Such efforts are counter-productive, and only further serve to undermine EU claims to support a genuine and credible political process to achieve a lasting solution to the conflict.
We therefore call on the European Parliament to postpone this vote until the European Commission provides legal clarity on the territorial scope of the proposed amendment with regards to the European Court of Justice ruling of December 2016, opens a constructive channel of dialogue with POLISARIO as the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people, and focuses its efforts first and foremost on ensuring EU Member States and Institutions are in compliance with EU law concerning ties with Morocco.” SPS
a través de POLISARIO: Proposed EU-Morocco Aviation deal violates EU Law | Sahara Press Service