The EU has fixed a map that displayed Western Sahara as part of Morocco - and has postponed further sanitary controls in the Sahrawi occupied territory.
Vice-President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini, on behalf of the Commission on 4 August 2016 came with a clarification that could have consequences for the EU's trade with occupied Western Sahara.
Mrs. Mogherini stated that three audits which the EU Food and Veterinary Office, had planned in Morocco in 2016 had been postponed, while a fourth would not visit Western Sahara.
It is unclear to Western Sahara Resource Watch what impact this decision has on the trade itself in products from Western Sahara. The Union has strict sanitary requirements, and producers that do not possess the right approvals cannot sell their products in the EU.
In addition, Mrs. Mogherini commented that an erroneous map published on the website of the EU's food agency, "has been corrected according to the United Nations practices and standards as well as international law".
The changes came as a response to a parliamentary question on 17 May 2016.
See the map on the EU audit website from from May 2016, and corrected in August (or download).
Saharawi parliamentarians condemn Engie controversy
The French company Engie has since 2023 been installing windmills in occupied Western Sahara for a massive project that would lead to the large-scale settlement of Moroccan farmers in the occupied territory.
These are the clients of Morocco’s phosphate plunder
For the eleventh year in a row, Western Sahara Resource Watch publishes a detailed, annual overview of the companies involved in the purchase of conflict phosphates from occupied Western Sahara.
This port is the biggest exporter of gas into occupied Western Sahara
For the first time, Portugal is the biggest exporter of gas products into occupied Western Sahara.
France offers to pay for problematic powerline
The French government intends to finance a cable that will transport energy from Morocco's illegal projects in occupied Western Sahara to Morocco proper.