Trucks of the US company Caterpillar transport phosphate rock in occupied Western Sahara.

The French multinational ENGIE operates in occupied Western Sahara. WSRW today wrote the company, asking how they consider the legal-ethical aspects of such operations.

From the end of this year, 2 of 3 global importers of Western Sahara's controversial conflict minerals are from New Zealand. This week, locals protested in the city of Dunedin.

Amid investigations into potential breach of code of conduct due to her membership on the Board of pro-Morocco lobby group, MEP Patricia Lalonde resigned today as the European Parliament's rapporteur on the proposed extension of the EU-Morocco trade deal into occupied Western Sahara.

According to the EU Council, it cannot make public a legal opinion on a future EU-Morocco trade deal in occupied Western Sahara as that would "carry the risk compromising the capacity of reaching an agreement on the dossier".

A sad Human Rights day for the Saharawi people. Just hours after the resignation of the leading MEP, the European Parliament's International Trade Committee backed extending EU-Morocco trade to occupied Western Sahara.

BREAKING: the Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that the EU-Morocco Aviation Agreement does not apply to Western Sahara.

95% of the energy needed by Morocco to plunder the phosphates of Western Sahara is delivered via SiemensGamesa windmills. The company has now prolonged its service contract for the controversial windmills for another 15 years, while continuing to refuse to comment on Saharawi consent.

The EU Ministers for Competitiveness have discretely approved the proposed EU-Morocco fish deal, that is intended to apply to occupied Western Sahara. Sweden was the only Member State to oppose, citing the lack of consent of the people of Western Sahara.

Changes could soon take place in the ownership of a controversial oil block in occupied Western Sahara. New player: Wolverine Energy and Infrastructure from Canada.

The Ambassadors of the EU Member States have just now voted in favour of the proposed EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement and Protocol, that is intended to apply to occupied Western Sahara. A final vote by the EU's Fisheries Ministers is imminent.

The UK-French company Vigeo Eiris certified and defended a Moroccan-Saudi energy project in occupied Western Sahara. WSRW calls on the board to engage on the matter.

The EU's Foreign Affairs branch claims to Member States and the European Parliament that the Western Sahara liberation movement does not want to meet to discuss a new EU-Moroccan fisheries agreement in Western Sahara. Polisario uttered its deep frustration over this misrepresentation in a letter to the EEAS.

Major conflict of interest arises following revelations that the European Parliament's rapporteur on the Western Sahara trade file is Board Member of a pro-Morocco lobby group.

Saharawi refugees protested against the Swiss-Swedish company's contract for the Moroccan government on occupied land.

The global match-maker of private accommodation has delisted providers in Israeli settlements and Crimea, but seem to apply different standards to similar situations of occupation. Saharawis object.

Previous confidential EU legal opinions on trade with and fisheries in occupied Western Sahara were later found to be wrong by the EU Court of Justice. WSRW has today requested the EU Council to publish the current legal documents.

While the EU Member States have not yet concluded on the newly proposed EU-Morocco fisheries agreement for waters offshore occupied Western Sahara, the Commission is already pushing the European Parliament to get to work.

WSRW challenges these 23 MEPs to read the Opinion they favoured, and come up with one solid argument to back up their vote. The 23 suggest including occupied Western Sahara in a trade agreement with Morocco.

The Moroccan government is now using all possible arguments to pull individual Euro-parliamentarians in their direction. At stake: the extension of a new EU-Morocco trade agreement to the territory it holds under occupation.

The Swiss-Swedish technological giant ABB got contracted to build the infrastructure that is set to connect a new wind farm in occupied Western Sahara to Morocco's national electricity grid.

During the business summit set up by the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Morocco (CFCIM) in occupied Western Sahara, French companies could sign contracts on the spot – “putting them at risk of financial and reputational damages”, says WSRW.

Members of the European Parliament request more clarity before voting on the Commission's proposed trade deal for Western Sahara. Meanwhile, 93 Western Sahara civil society groups lament the Parliament rapporteur's lack of diligence on the file.

The Irish organisation GLAN today filed a complaint against the Irish/UK oil company San Leon Energy for violating the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
 

WSRW has asked the EU Commission to clarify how the application of its proposed trade deal for Western Sahara to only the Moroccan-occupied part of the territory, is in line with its duty to respect territorial integrity.

The text of the new EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement - which includes Western Sahara in its geographic scope but has been negotiated exclusively between the EU and Morocco - has now been presented to the European Parliament for approval.

A briefing distributed by Moroccan officials in the corridors of the European Parliament claims, among other things, that “signing an agreement with the EU that does not include the Sahara, would be perceived as an implicit recognition of Morocco’s non-sovereignty over this territory”.

The representation of the people of Western Sahara has lodged complaint against the banks BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole, the insurance company Axa Assurance, airline Transavia and tourist agency UCPA over the accusation of colonisation.

The mission report of Patricia Lalonde, the European Parliament's rapporteur on the proposed EU-Morocco trade deal for Western Sahara, is remarkably void of facts and figures. WSRW retorts.

"In view of the part my city played in the history of colonialism in Germany, I cannot accept that economic activities in my city violate international law", the President of the Bremen Parliament wrote the all German Member of the European Parliament.

LATEST: The European Parliament's Legal Service has concluded that it is "unclear" whether a proposed EU-Morocco trade agreement for Western Sahara is in line with EU law. Read the Legal Opinion here.

In spite of having multiple reasons against the deal - including an EU Court ruling - the rapporteur of the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee recommends Parliament to consent to including Western Sahara into the EU-Morocco trade deal.

Today, Polisario filed a criminal complaint against French seafood producer Chancerelle for aiding and abetting Morocco in the transfer of its civil population in occupied Western Sahara, economic discrimination and false labeling.

The two New Zealand companies Ravensdown and Ballance Agri-Nutrients, now the only two clients of phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara in the world, are defending their purchases on social media. Here is what is wrong with what they claim.

A landmark decision has been made. The large-scale exports of conflict phosphates from occupied Western Sahara to the United States will stop this year.

Frozen fish from El Aaiún in occupied Western Sahara is exported on a weekly basis to Las Palmas on the Canary Islands, via a Royal Air Maroc commercial flight.

More fish for more money - that seems to be the gist of the new EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement

A group of Europarliamentarians is about to travel to occupied parts of Western Sahara to assess whether including the territory in the trade deal with Morocco is a good idea.

Despite promises of moving its triennial conference from El Aaiun, occupied Western Sahara, to a city in Morocco proper, ISOCARD now states it will not do so, because "it has no power to change the city" - indicating the organisation's lack of backbone to go against its Moroccan hosts.

"Sweden is not satisfied that the outcome of the consultation process can be said to constitute the free and informed consent of the people of Western Sahara", the country formally explained its abstention in the EU Council vote on the Western Sahara trade scheme.

New York based private equity firm, Brookstone Partners, is reportedly set to build a highly controversial 900 megawatt wind farm in Dakhla, in the south of occupied Western Sahara.

New documentation shows that only 4 out of 75 purse seiners that the Moroccan government have licenced to fish on the pelagic stocks off Dakhla, occupied Western Sahara, are controlled by Saharawis.

For the third time, the highest Court of the European Union has confirmed that Morocco has no sovereignty over Western Sahara. In its new ruling dated 19 July 2018, the Court confirms that the EU's fisheries agreement with Morocco cannot be applied to the territory.

One of the most important companies in the controversial phosphate business in Western Sahara is ending its involvement. Innophos Holding's exit might lead to the US totally terminating its decade-long imports from the occupied territory.

Confirmed: the EU and Morocco have concluded their negotiations for a new Fisheries Agreement and Protocol of Implementation. The waters adjacent to the occupied Western Sahara will be expressly included.

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.