While the highest Court of the EU has stipulated that no trade arrangement with Morocco can be applied to Western Sahara, the EU Commission this month visited the occupied territory to update the list of companies authorised to export their products to the EU.
WSRW has again asked Siemens to clarify how they’ve obtained the consent of the people of Western Sahara to their involvement in literally all of Morocco’s wind power plans in the occupied territory.
For a third consecutive year, Morocco has spent most of the EU’s fisheries sectoral support on further developing the fishing industry in occupied Western Sahara – with the explicit approval of the Union.
Fresh leaks from international tax-havens provide more information about who is behind the Glencore oil operations in occupied Western Sahara.
While Morocco presses on with its renewable energy projects in occupied Western Sahara, the EU's Foreign Affairs Chief has clarified that the EU will not provide any financial contributions.
Even more wind farms are being planned in occupied Western Sahara, and all of them are in the portfolio of the Moroccan monarch's company NAREVA.
“I think this incident should alert people about these EU-Morocco trade negotiations on products from Western Sahara: they are not transparent at all”, says Jytte Guteland, socialist Euro-parliamentarian from Sweden.
Morocco and Siemens press on with their plans to generate energy in the human rights black-spot that is Western Sahara: the first controversial wind farm near Boujdour is expected to be operational in December 2018, built by a UK company.
Over the past 24 hours, WSRW has observed a resumed seabed exploration north of Dakhla, in the block operated by American oil company Kosmos Energy in collaboration with Scotland's Cairn Energy.
Both the EU and Morocco seem keen conclude the negotiations to keep occupied Western Sahara within the territorial scope of their bilateral trade deal - in spite of a judgment by the EU's highest Court ruling this out.
Opposition referred to the inclusion of Western Sahara, which they say renders the deal illegal under EU law.
For the umpteenth time, the EU's self-contradiction in relation to Western Sahara surfaces.
Finnish energy company Wärtsilä has struck a deal with the Moroccan government to supply a power plant to Dakhla - a town located well outside of Morocco, and inside occupied Western Sahara.
... precisely in the territory that the highest Court of the European Union considers "distinct and separate" from Morocco.
The EU Commission puts the trade flow from Western Sahara into the Union at "just €7000" for the entire year of 2016. "Beggars belief", WSRW states.
Sweden is known for paying lip-service to Saharawi self-determination, but is it putting its money where its mouth is? Check out our newly published report on Sweden's involvement in the taking of occupied Western Sahara's natural resources.
"Seeking to circumvent the ECJ’s ruling, directly challenges the credibility of the EU, and significantly damages the potential for progress through the UN-led negotiation process", Saharawi groups qualify the EU's talks with Morocco regarding Western Sahara trade, in their letter to the EU's Foreign Affairs Chief.
Verdict comes after years of accusations that the trials were politically motivated, imprisoning activists who stood up against Morocco's social and economic deprivation of Saharawis.
The Moroccan government has today initiated draft regulations aimed at incorporating the waters of Western Sahara into its own territorial waters.
“We call on the EU to abide by the judgment of its own Supreme Court, and to cease all trade talks regarding Western Sahara with the occupying state, Morocco. As a champion for rule of law and human rights, the EU should respect the rights of the Saharawi people and negotiate trade in goods from Western Sahara with their representatives, the Polisario Front.”
SIGN THE PETITION HERE!
Sand exports from occupied Western Sahara to Spain continue unabated.
The Isle of Man shipping company LT Ugland stated to media today that it will not undertake further shipments from Western Sahara to New Zealand.
A new report published by WSRW today reveals the names of around 100 shipping companies behind the transport of phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara in 2016 and 2017.
About thirty persons gathered at the docks of Palma de Mallorca to protest the unloading of sand from occupied Western Sahara.
The South African court that is deciding on the ownership of a detained phosphate rock shipment from occupied Western Sahara, has set a date for its judgment.
For the second time this month, a vessel carrying conflict minerals from occupied Western Sahara has been detained by a national court. This time: the Danish vessel Ultra Innovation heading to Canada.
The EU Commission is now seeking the EU member states approval to brush aside the judgement of the Court of Justice of the EU, by negotiating a new agreement with Morocco for trade with occupied Western Sahara.
The company which hardly ever responds to concerns over their imports of conflict phosphates from occupied Western Sahara has now started talking.
This film was shot in Gibraltar shortly before arriving occupied Western Sahara.
A bulk vessel was Tuesday this week detained in the South African port of Port Elizabeth for carrying phosphate rock plundered from occupied Western Sahara.
The Italian renewable energy corporation Enel Green Energy evades questions by civil society about its operations on occupied land.
Irish/UK oil company San Leon Energy's work in occupied Western Sahara is delayed, and the company claims to the Moroccan government that it is due to "regional security situation".
Over 200 million dollars worth of phosphate rock was shipped out of occupied Western Sahara last year, a new report from WSRW shows. For the first time, India is among the top importers.
The US company FMC Corp has confirmed to WSRW that it has sold 33,3 percent ownership in the Venezuelan company Tripoliven which imports phosphates from Western Sahara. Now it is all Venezuelan.
Last week, a group of around 60 unemployed Saharawis hi-jacked a bus from Phosboucraa, to voice their protest against the Moroccan-owned company's exploitation of occupied Western Sahara's phosphate mine.
Kosmos and Cairn Energy are exploring for oil offshore Western Sahara, occupied by Morocco. This photo taken yesterday shows one of their supply vessels.
The Peace and Security Council of the African Union this week asked its new member, Morocco, to not carry out further exploration and exploitation of the natural resources in Western Sahara.
A note sent from French government to the French parliamentarians in Brussels today casts doubts on whether France has studied the judgment at all. Debate on live TV takes place now.
The Spanish government in a statement yesterday confirmed the EU court's judgement that Western Sahara goods are not covered by the EU-Morocco trade deal. Spain states it is up to France to make sure the controversial trade of fish oil from 'Key Bay' vessel was properly tariffed.
The Moroccan government has opened for a relatively large tender in Dakhla.
This is how you order the book "The European Union Approach Towards Western Sahara".
The Swiss company is undertaking more seismic studies and has entered into a renewed contract on a neighbouring block, offshore the occupied territory.
Why does Siemens not seek the consent of the Saharawis to operate on their land? At the company's Annual Shareholders Meeting, the company failed to answer.
The second confirmed shipment of products from Western Sahara into the EU is a fact. Destination: Normandy, France.
Beautiful images of a vessel with an ugly cargo; fish oil taken illegally from an occupied land; the Key Bay in the port of Fécamp.
The vessel carrying fish oil from occupied Western Sahara into the EU is at present entering the harbour of Las Palmas.
Photos and video shows Key Bay inside the port of El Aaiun in occupied Western Sahara, loading fish oil.
Key Bay is this evening picking up fish oil in the occupied territory of Western Sahara, to transport to the EU. See photos here.
Irish oil company San Leon confirms that an unknown Chinese investor is sniffing on a majority stake in the company. San Leon is looking for oil in occupied Western Sahara, in violation of international law.