The Parliament of the Basque Country on 3 March 2017 approved what is called an "institutional declaration" regarding Spanish and Basque companies in Western Sahara.
The text expresses its concern over the exploitation of resources "in violation of international and European law", and calls on European, Spanish and Basque companies to not engage in operations which prolong the occupation.
It recalled on the obligation to seek the consent of the Saharawi people before undertaking any business activity in Western Sahara and underlined the need for European, Spanish and Basque enterprises not to be involved in Moroccan industries in the occupied territory - such as in fisheries, agriculture, phosphates sand or renewable energies.
The declaration can be found on the website of the Basque parliament [or download], and is also referred to by the Spanish news agency Europapress.
The company from Basque Country with the most recent involvement in Western Sahara, to WSRW's knowledge, is the company Ormazabal which supplied equipment for the construction of the windmills that the Moroccan state phosphate company OCP is using for the phosphate plunder at the Foum El Oued wind park at Bou Craa, Western Sahara.
See references to the Basque delivery in a presentation from Ormazabal. For further information about the Foum El Oued windpark, see the WSRW report "Powering the Plunder" from November 2016.
Ormazabal is based in Zamudio, on the outskirts of Bilbao. WSRW has not been in contact with the company.
One of the richest coastlines in the world
The fish stocks of occupied Western Sahara have not only attracted the interest of the Moroccan fleet: other foreign interests are also fishing in the occupied waters through arrangements with Moroccan counterparts. Along the Western Saharan coastline, a processing industry has emerged.
The CJEU Court Cases
Keeping track of the many legal proceedings relating to Western Sahara is not easy. This page offers an overview of the cases concerning the territory that have been before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).
Tūhana human rights advisors ignore human rights
A consultancy hired to assess phosphate imports from occupied Western Sahara into New Zealand concludes there is no problem.
MEPs push back on Commission over Western Sahara in EU–Morocco trade
MEPs from across the political spectrum sharply criticised the European Commission over its handling of EU-Morocco trade relations covering occupied Western Sahara, raising concerns over legality, transparency and an apparent disregard for Parliament’s role.