The European Parliament's new legal opinion states that Morocco has never claimed an Exclusive Economic Zone over the waters off Western Sahara. Read the full text of the opinion here.
The Legal Opinion, shared with the European Parliamentarians on Monday, focuses on three different questions.
1. Has Morocco declared an exclusive economic zone off the waters of Western Sahara?
2. If not, would Morocco have the legal basis upon which to make a claim of an EEZ there, and what would it be?
3. If not, what is the legal requirement for the EU to pay for fishing in international waters?
Read the EP legal service's analysis of those questions here.
This is the follow up of the previous legal opinion which established that the wishes and the interests of the Saharawi people are paramount. Those references are no longer present in the current text.
The Advocate General of the EU’s top Court backs the legal status of the people of Western Sahara. Final Judgment expected in a few months.
Labelling those products as originating in the Kingdom of Morocco instead of originating in Western Sahara breaches EU law, the Advocate General of the EU Court of Justice concludes.
After undertaking work for the Moroccan state phosphate company in Western Sahara, the Danish consultancy giant COWI states that it “will not engage in further projects" in the occupied territory.
An external evaluation report on the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement 2019-2023 confirms that the agreement revolves, in its entirety, around Western Sahara.