A consignment of 3000 tonnes of fishmeal that was loaded in occupied Western Sahara is at present being unloaded in the port of Bremen, Germany. "How does this fit with the ECJ judgment on trade with Western Sahara?", WSRW asks.
Read a transcript of the presentation of Mr Vincent Piket, head of the Maghreb Division at the EU External Action Service, at the ALDE Seminar on the EU's relations with Morocco, held on 25 April 2018 in the European Parliament.
Several EU-flagged vessels have blatantly ignored and violated the EU Court judgment invalidating the EU-Morocco fish agreement in Western Sahara. Here they are.
In case of reasonable doubt on the true origin of the product - Morocco or Western Sahara - EU customs should "request verification from the competent Moroccan authorities", says the EU Commission.
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the EU Member States have today approved the proposed amendment to the Trade Protocol with Morocco to include occupied Western Sahara, in spite of the lack of consent from the people of the territory - as ordered by the EU Court of Justice. The European Parliament is yet to cast its vote.
The Moroccan government undertook a 1002 Km² seismic study offshore occupied Western Sahara in the first part of 2018.
The Council on Ethics of the Swedish government pension fund explains in its latest annual report for 2017 that it had engaged in a dialogue with Glencore regarding Western Sahara – and that this dialogue now is finished.
As the vote on the European Parliament's report on the UN General Assembly revealed, MEPs are split on the inclusion of a reference to the EU Court of Justice in relation to Western Sahara.
German Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office stresses importance of complying with Judgment of EU Court of Justice in relation to Western Sahara trade.
No less than 93 Saharawi groups have called on the EU institutions to respect the will of the people of Western Sahara when negotiating trade or fisheries agreements that will affect their occupied land.
The European Commission is trying to push through a new trade agreement with Morocco for the territory of Western Sahara, in disregard of the Court of Justice of EU judgment of 2016. WSRW has summarised why its approach is wrong.
€84 million in return for fishing licenses - is what Rabat threw on the table in the EU-Morocco negotiations for a new Fisheries Protocol. Earlier this year, the EU Court of Justice invalidated the application of the EU-Morocco fish arrangement to Western Sahara - where 91.5% of the EU's fishing activities under the deal take place.
For decades, a small office in London shipped phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara to Australia/New Zealand. After one of the world's biggest shipping companies took over the office, the controversial operation will now be closed.
The EU Commission today received heavy critique from the European Parliament for its suggestion to include occupied Western Sahara in a trade deal with Morocco.
On 15 June 2018, Polisario announced that a new case has been launched regarding the EU-Morocco plans to cooperate on fisheries in the waters of occupied Western Sahara. In the EU-Morocco talks, the EU has so far ignored the two judgments from EU Court of Justice on Western Sahara.
On 24 April 2018, the liberation movement of Western Sahara brought action against the EU Council for concluding an aviation agreement with Morocco that includes the territory of Western Sahara.
83% of the groups that the EU Commission claims have participated in a 'consultation' regarding Western Sahara trade, have either never been asked to take part - or have not taken part - in any consultation process. "We condemn the EU for so gravely misusing our name, and the names of other civil society organisations, to legitimize an illegal trade agreement", WSRW states.
The EU foreign affairs department (EEAS) claims it has consulted Polisario on the trade deal for Western Sahara that it has negotiated with Morocco. But the email correspondence between Polisario and the EEAS documents that the Commission's claim is a lie.
The EU Commission has today presented its suggested trade arrangement for occupied Western Sahara, which still requires the approval of the EU Member States and the EU Parliament.
The European Commission has ignored to seek consent from the people of Western Sahara as it negotiated a trade agreement with occupier Morocco. Saharawi protestors yesterday expressed anger over the EU's disrespect for the rule of law.
More and more investors are kicking Nutrien from their portfolios for its imports of phosphate from occupied Western Sahara. But the company shows no indication of its stated intent to phase-out the controversial imports from by the end of this year.
Instead of seeking 'consent' from the 'people' of Western Sahara as the ECJ has asked, the EU has 'consulted' Moroccan political bodies, and state companies that violate international law and defend the Moroccan occupation.
The EU Court's rulings distinguishing Western Sahara from Morocco seem to have fallen on deaf ears in Brussels, as representatives of the Commission insist on proceeding as before.
The international camel research network ISOCARD has instructed its Moroccan partners to move the location of its upcoming conference from Western Sahara to Morocco.
Read type-outs of the presentation of Mr Vincent Piket, head of the Maghreb Division at the EU External Action Service, at the ALDE Seminar on the EU's relations with Morocco, held on 25 April 2018 in the European Parliament.
Morocco shipped over 1.5 million tonnes of phosphate out of occupied Western Sahara in 2017, to the tune of over $142 million. But the number of international importers of the contentious conflict mineral is waning, WSRW's annual report shows.
A sealed bid auction to buy the 55,000 tonnes of Western Sahara phosphate rock onboard the ship seized by the South African authorities is about to conclude.
In disregard of two EU Court rulings, the EU Member States have today authorized the EU Commission to negotiations with Morocco for a new fisheries protocol that will also cover occupied Western Sahara.
Both the FAO and OIE have denied funding or even taking part in ISOCARD's 2018 conference, scheduled to take place in El Aaiun, occupied Western Sahara, in November this year.
A case study on Morocco's policy reforms regarding renewable energy by a UN agency completely ignores the fact that a significant share of Morocco's planned production will come from occupied Western Sahara, as it fails to even distinguish between the two territories.
Under a proposed agreement between EU and Morocco on so-called 'Geographical Indications', camel milk and camel cheese from occupied Western Sahara could receive protection as a Moroccan product.
The EU Commission proposes to amend the EU-Morocco Fisheries Protocol ... but still wishes to apply it to the waters of Western Sahara, in spite of two EU Court judgments invalidating such practice.
WSRW has today sent a letter to OPEC, asking the organisation to clarify its position on Western Sahara following its press release on the controversial Crans Montana Forum conference which OPEC claims takes place in "Dakhla, Morocco".
Kosmos Energy has decided to keep their website defending Western Sahara oil search - even after they have left the territory.
The German multinational cement giant HeidelbergCement owns a cement factory in Western Sahara. WSRW enquires about who gave the company permission to operate in the occupied territory.
The US company Innophos admits in its latest annual report to be purchasing the conflict mineral through PotashCorp.
The Government of South African today issued a strong statement of support for International Humanitarian Law in Western Sahara during a meeting in Geneva today.
Golden Ocean regrets shipment of phosphates from Western Sahara and changes future contracts to avoid new transports from the occupied territory.
The EU Court this morning issued a ruling stating that the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement is only valid if it does not apply to the waters of Western Sahara.
The national liberation movement of Western Sahara welcomes the judgment of the EU Court of Justice and is ready to engage in direct negotiations with the EU Commission to set up a legally solid framework for European interests and companies active in Western Sahara.
In a joint statement today, Brussels and Rabat declare that the EU will help Morocco's fisheries sector, a business that primarily takes place in occupied Western Sahara.
At 11:45 today, Saharawi refugees are celebrating that the Court of Justice has ruled that EU cannot continue fishing offshore Western Sahara in partnership with the country that occupied their homeland.
The leading Parliamentary Committee sets consent of the Saharawi people as a condition for endorsing the Western Sahara trade deal that the Commission is presently negotiating with Morocco.
Read also: WSRW demands Commission for answers regarding fake consultation in Western Sahara
The High Court of South Africa today confirmed that the owner of the cargo of phosphate rock aboard the detained vessel, NM Cherry Blossom, is the Saharawi Government, and not Morocco's state-owned phosphate company which was not entitled to sell the commodity. Major victory for the Saharawis in an African Court.
The European Parliament has voted to rein in toxic fertilizers that are high in carcinogene heavy metals. Morocco stands to lose a major market for its high in cadmium fertilizer products, which it exports also from occupied Western Sahara.
The European Commission will today brief the Parliament's International Trade Committee. The Western Sahara intergroup of the Parliament expressed today its deep concern of the Commission's approach.
Sweden was the only EU Member State to issue a critical statement with regard to the granting of the negotiation mandate. Read that statement below.
"Sweden considers that the proposed mandate does not meet the requirements of international law", the official government statement reads.
Is Kosmos Energy undertaking a last survey on the Boujdour Maritime licence before it waves goodbye to occupied Western Sahara? Or has an unknown company taken over the licence? Last week, seabed petroleum surveys started at the place where Kosmos drilled in 2014.
17 years of US private company engagement in exploring the oil potential of Western Sahara has come to an end.
The EU's foreign affairs department has invited WSRW to take part in a consultation process regarding EU-Morocco trade talks covering Western Sahara. Though in principle always open to dialogue, WSRW had to decline.
The European Commission has failed to obtain consent from the Saharawi representatives before deciding to include Western Sahara in trade deal with Morocco. In a statement today, 89 organisations in and from Western Sahara condemn the EU Commission for its sham consultations.
Why did you not seek permission from my people?, a Saharawi refugee asked at Siemens AGM. Company fails to answer questions why it operates on occupied land.
The European Commission and Morocco yesterday initialed an agreement covering trade in goods originating in Western Sahara without the consent of the people from the territory, contrary to the orders of the EU Court of Justice.
The national liberation movement of Western Sahara threatens to claim 240 million Euro in compensation of the EU's illegal fisheries in occupied Western Sahara and sends a warning to importers of goods from the territory to halt their imports.
The company that certified energy infrastructure in occupied Western Sahara, claims that a UN body had found the company not to breach human rights.
Canadian company Nutrien announced last week that its multi-million dollar imports of conflict minerals to Vancouver is stopping. Nutrien is now reconsidering what to do with its "PotashCorp" imports to the US.
Two important members of the S&D group in the European Parliament this week expressed strong criticism of the Commission’s approach to EU-Morocco trade negotiations in relation to Western Sahara. This might reflect a significant shift ongoing in positions in the Europarliament.
The final assets that Glencore held in oil exploration in occupied Western Sahara have been sold.
The German government has clarified that no export credit guarantees can be given to projects in Western Sahara.
The Danish government has started arguing for its own fishing interests in occupied Western Sahara and challenges the recent developments in the Court of Justice of the EU. A request to continue EU fisheries in Western Sahara was issued to Danish legislators just one day after the EU Court's General Advocate found that practice invalid.
In an opinion issued this morning, the Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the EU stated that the EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement is invalid because it applies to Western Sahara waters. Judgement expected in a few months.
Read reaction from Frente Polisario on the opinion.
Not awaiting the EU Court of Justice's verdict on the legality of the current fisheries protocol with Morocco over the inclusion of Western Sahara's waters, the EU Commission is already thinking out loud about its successor.
A new Canadian company accounts for half the purchases of conflict minerals from occupied Western Sahara. WSRW calls on investors to immediately blacklist the new company for breach of basic ethics.
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.
Opposition referred to the inclusion of Western Sahara, which they say renders the deal illegal under EU law.
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.
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.