During the plenary debates in the European Parliament session in Strasbourg on Monday evening 7 October, a majority of the Members of European Parliament (MEPs) expressed a wish to see the matter of the recent Western Sahara court rulings addressed in parliamentary debates.

A proposal to discuss the court rulings in plenary session had been tabled by the Portuguese member of Parliament João Oliveira (The left). 

The proposal itself was supported by 189 parliamentarians, which was not sufficient for a plenary debate, as 254 parliamentarians voted against. Find out which MEP voted for or against, further below.

In response to The Left's proposal, the EPP group supported the proposition of a debate in the fisheries (PECH), agriculture (AGRI) and international trade (INTA) committees instead.

“The ECJ rulings came only last Friday. [.,,,] We think it is too early to have debate in plenary. Instead, this issue should be assessed and analysed at the PECH committee, in the AGRI committee and in the INTA committee. So no need for a debate in plenary at this moment", Jörgen Warborn, Sweden/EPP, stated. Warborn himself is on the INTA committee. 

The EPP is chairing the fisheries committee. 

The chairs of the Agriculture committee (Veronika Vrecionová, Czech Republic/ECR) and the chair of the INTA committee (Bernd Lange, Germany/S&D) also supported the proposal from the EPP to have discussions on committee level. 

MEP Oliveira had suggested that the Parliament should “discuss the concrete measures to implement that decision, as well as the necessary European Union measures that contribute to the realization of the right to self-determination of the Saharawi people, complying with the United Nations resolutions that recognize it”.

During the opening of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, any group is entitled to propose to add a topic on the plenary agenda of the week. Each request is made orally and if there is a majority, the point is added to the agenda. Groups can respond, and in this case, the EPP reacted. The plenary session of the parliament often raises a series of issues that could equally be covered in committees but given their importance are dealt with at plenary level. Particularly when the topic covers a range of issues that go beyond a single committee.

Last Friday, 4 October, the highest Court of the EU once again annulled the application of the EU-Morocco Trade and Fisheries agreements in occupied Western Sahara, as these were concluded in breach of the Saharawi people's right to self-determination. Since 2015, the EU General Court and the Court of Justice have issued 10 rulings pertaining to Western Sahara, all coming to this conclusion. 

VOTED FOR THE PROPOSAL OF A DEBATE AT PLENARY LEVEL (189 MEPs)

ECR: Berlato, Bocheński, Ciriani, Erixon, Fidanza, Geadi, Gemma, Gosiewska, Kanko, Kartheiser, Kols, Mularczyk, Nesci, Obajtek, Picaro, Polato, Pozņaks, Razza, Ruissen, Rzońca, Sberna, Squarta, Tarczyński, Târziu, Timgren, Torselli, Valchev, Van Dijck, Weimers, Wiśniewska, Złotowski

NI: Beňová, Berg, Blaha, De Masi, Kaliňák, Panayiotou, Papadakis, Pürner, Roth Neveďalová, Sieper, Warnke, Zacharia

PfE: Bžoch, Dostalova, Hauser, Knotek, Kubín, Nagyová, de la Pisa Carrión, Pokorná Jermanová

S&D: Angel, Arnaoutoglou, Attard, Bajada, Biedroń, Bonaccini, Ceulemans, Danielsson, Decaro, Dibrani, Dîncu, Di Rupo, Dobrev, Eriksson, Fita, Fritzon, Germain, Glucksmann, Gomes, Gonçalves Sérgio, Gori, Grossmann, Guzenina, Heide, Heinäluoma, Incir, Jalloul Muro, Jouvet, Lalucq, Laurent, Laureti, Maij, Manda, Maran, Mendes, Molnár, Moretti, Muşoiu, Nardella, Negrescu, Nica, Papandreou, Picula, Regner, Reuten, Ricci, Ridel, Sargiacomo, Schaldemose, Scheuring-Wielgus, Schieder, Sidl, Śmiszek, Strada, Tarquinio, Topo, Tudose, Ušakovs, Wolters, Zan, Zingaretti

The Left: Andersson, Antoci, Arvanitis, Aubry, Botenga, Carême, Chaibi, Della Valle, Farantouris, Flanagan, Furore, Galán, Gedin, Georgiou, Hassan, Hazekamp, Kennes, Kountoura, Kyllönen, Martins, Montero, Morace, Oliveira, Palmisano, Pedulla', Salis, Saramo, Schirdewan, Serra Sánchez, Tamburrano, Tridico

Verts/ALE: Asens Llodrà, Bloss, Boeselager, Bosanac, Bricmont, Camara, Cormand, Eickhout, Freund, Geese, Gregorová, Häusling, Holmgren, Kuhnke, Lagodinsky, Langensiepen, Lövin, Marquardt, Marzà Ibáñez, Matthieu, Miranda Paz, Neumann, Nordqvist, Ohisalo, Paulus, Peter-Hansen, Prebilič, Reintke, Riba i Giner, Riehl, Satouri, Sbai, Schilling, Scuderi, Sinkevičius, Søvndal, Staķis, Ştefănuță, Strik, Strolenberg, Tegethoff, Toussaint, Van Lanschot, Van Sparrentak, Vieira, Waitz

Voted AGAINST the proposal of a debate at plenary level (254 MEPs) 

ECR: Bielan, Krutílek, Maląg, Vrecionová, Wąsik

ESN: Anderson, Arndt, Aust, Borvendég, Froelich, Jongen, Khan, Laykova, Sell, Sypniewski, Volgin, Zajączkowska-Hernik

NI: Anadiotis, Braun, Junco García, Lazarus, Pérez, Solier

PPE: Aaltola, Adamowicz, Aftias, Agius, Arias Echeverría, Beke, Beleris, Benjumea Benjumea, Bentele, Berendsen, Bernhuber, Brejza, Brnjac, Budka, Carberry, Casa, Caspary, Chinnici, Crespo Díaz, Cunha, Dahl, Dávid, De Meo, Doherty, Do Nascimento Cabral, Dorfmann, Düpont, Ehler, Farský, Ferber, Fourlas, Gasiuk-Pihowicz, Gerzsenyi, Geuking, Gieseke, Giménez Larraz, González Pons, Gotink, Grims, Halicki, Hansen Christophe, Hansen Niels Flemming, Humberto, Joński, Kalniete, Kanev, Kefalogiannis, Kircher, Köhler, Kollár, Kopacz, Kubilius, Kulja, Lakos, Le Callennec, Lenaers, Lewandowski, Lexmann, Liese, Lins, McAllister, Mandl, Marczułajtis-Walczak, Martusciello, Mehnert, Meimarakis, Meleti, Mertens, Millán Mon, Montserrat, Mureşan, Navarrete Rojas, Nerudová, Niedermayer, Novakov, Nykiel, Pascual De La Parte, Pedro, Pereira, Polfjärd, Protas, Ripa, Salini, Saudargas, Schenk, Schwab, Sienkiewicz, Simon, Smit, Solís Pérez, Sommen, Szczerba, Teodorescu Måwe, Ter Laak, Terras, Tobé, Tomašič, Tomc, Tonin, Tsiodras, Verheyen, Vincze, Virkkunen, Voss, Vozemberg-Vrionidi, Vázquez Lázara, Walsh, Walsmann, Warborn, Wcisło, Weber, Winzig, Wiseler-Lima, Zarzalejos, Zdechovský, Zdrojewski, Zver

PfE: Androuët, Bardella, Bartůšek, Brasier-Clain, Bryłka, Buczek, Ceccardi, Dauchy, Deloge, Deutsch, Diepeveen, Dieringer, Disdier, Dömötör, Ferenc, Frigout, Furet, Gál, Garraud, Griset, Győri, Jamet, Joron, Kruis, László, Latinopoulou, Leggeri, Leonardelli, Mariani, Moreira de Sá, Olivier, Pennelle, Piera, Pimpie, Rougé, Sanchez, Schaller-Baross, Sorel, Stancanelli, Stöteler, Szekeres, Thionnet, Tolassy, Valet, Vandendriessche, Vannacci, Varaut, Vicsek, Vistisen, Zijlstra

Renew: Allione, Andrews, Auštrevičius, Baljeu, Bosse, Boyer, Brandstätter, Cassart, Chastel, Christensen, Cifrová Ostrihoňová, Devaux, Eroglu, Friis, García Hermida-Van Der Walle, Gerbrandy, Gozi, Groothuis, Grudler, Guetta, Hahn, Hayer, Henriksson, Hojsík, Karlsbro, Karvašová, Kelleher, Keller, Kobosko, Körner, Kulmuni, Løkkegaard, Minchev, Ódor, Oetjen, Petrov, Šarec, Strack-Zimmermann, Streit, Van Brug, van den Berg, Vautmans, Vedrenne, Wiezik, Wilmès, Yar, Yon-Courtin, Žalimas

S&D: Bischoff, Clergeau, Cremer, Ecke, Gálvez, Geier, Grapini, Lange, Moreno Sánchez, Rafowicz, Repasi, Repp, Ros Sempere, Sánchez Amor, Sippel

Verts/ALE: Marino

 

ABSTAINED (8 MEPs)

ECR: Kamiński

NI: Geisel

Renew: Agirregoitia Martínez, Al-Sahlani, Wiesner

S&D: Mebarek, Nemec, Rodrigues