By Arto Valtonen,
Tidskriften Västsahara (Sweden)

“The question about whether the Sahrawis benefit from the agreement is not sufficiently clarified”, stated the Swedish Minister of agriculture, Mr. Eskil Erlandsson.

If the Commission cannot prove that the agreement is according to the Sahrawis’ wishes and interests, Erlandsson will personally raise the issue with the Commission. He said that the fisheries cooperation is going to be influenced by the legal opinion.

For the agreement to be in accordance with international law, the Sahrawis must have given their consent to it, and the benefits from the fisheries must accrue to them.

”The opinion is an important basis for the continued discussions with Morocco”, stated Erlandsson.

One can sense a certain irritation between the lines in Mr. Erlandsson’s statement. The Swedish Minister of agriculture has had no information about the legal opinion, despite the fact that it was made already on 13 July 2009.

”I have not known about this opinion, which was requested by the EU parliament until it was made public the other day by, what I understand, is a voluntary organisation”, he said.

Considering that Sweden chaired the EU’s presidency while the opinion was made, sources in the Ministry said it is “strange” that the opinion was shared neither with the Swedish delegation in Brussels, nor with the Minister of agriculture.

Translated to English by Western Sahara Resource Watch.