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In 2010, the Dutch company Fugro promised to never again undertake operations in occupied Western Sahara. On Christmas Eve 2019, their vessels returned.

Published 24 December 2019
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Next month, Spain’s human rights track record will be reviewed by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. WSRW asks UN Member States to raise the rights of the people of Western Sahara, for whom Spain continues to bear responsibility.
 

Published 10 December 2019

A Japanese-Canadian vessel that transported conflict phosphate from occupied Western Sahara was yesterday received by a floating protest in New Zealand. 
 

Published 10 December 2019

The construction work on the controversial beach of Mogán in Gran Canary started 2 December.

Published 04 December 2019
EuroChem's reply of 28 March 2018 to WSRW, stating they "have no plans to purchase supplies from Western Sahara". EuroChem's subsidiary Lifosa AB received its last shipment of the conflict mineral in October 2016, despite earlier statements they'd halt all further imports from the territory.
Published 03 December 2019
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This morning, the New Zealand Rail and Maritime Transport Union issued a statement saying that they will "consider our options around refusing to berth the ship" if phosphate importer Ravensdown does not allow port workers to register their protest with the captain of the ship.

Published 02 December 2019
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For the second time in less than two months’ time, the very same oil tanker has made the direct voyage from occupied Western Sahara to the port of Rotterdam. The Dutch government clarifies the content of the ship.

Published 02 December 2019
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The bay of Mogán at Gran Canary Island will next week be covered in conflict sand from occupied Western Sahara.

Published 01 December 2019
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With the operationalization of the Paris Agreement as key-point on the agenda of COP25, will the UN Climate Change Conference finally clarify whether States can help combat climate change by violating the Geneva Convention and the UN Charter?

Published 28 November 2019
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The 300 MW farm is the first of the two wind farms that Italian company Enel Green Power and Germany's Siemens will build together on occupied land. Construction starts in 2021.

Published 27 November 2019
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Ravensdown is "risking potentially disruptive direct action by refusing to allow port workers to register their protest at the importing of Blood Phosphate from the Western Sahara", says the New Zealand Rail and Maritime Transport Union.

Published 21 November 2019

The former Legal Counsel to the UN Security Counsel, Mr. Hans Corell, comments on the EU's fisheries activities in Western Sahara.

Published 20 November 2019

Polisario Front has announced its intention to subscribe to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) - a global standard for good governance of oil, gas and mineral resources.

Published 18 November 2019

Turkey has become the leading importer of fishmeal from occupied Western Sahara. The aquaculture company Gümüşdoğa turns the meal into valuable fisheries products for the European market.

Published 10 November 2019
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A French-Norwegian seismic survey vessel has entered Saharawi waters four times. The company behind the exploration blames its Dutch client.

Published 08 November 2019
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The UK company GeoEx is now trying to sell the seismic data it collected of the seafloor of occupied Western Sahara. WSRW warns possible clients to stay away.

Published 16 October 2019
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WSRW has reason to assume that a shipment of fish oil from occupied Western Sahara was discharged this afternoon in the Netherlands.

Published 15 October 2019
The French company Total paid the Moroccan government near 4 million US dollars for the Anzarane exploration licence offshore Western Sahara, under illegal occupation.
Published 08 October 2019
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Tenders are expected to be launched before the end of the year.

Published 04 October 2019
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And another vessel is on its way.

Published 12 September 2019
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The representative organisation of Spain's farming sector, COAG, cautions that Morocco is working to increase agricultural exports from occupied Western Sahara into the European Union.

Published 09 September 2019
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German and Irish law organisations demand that Messe Berlin ceases to accept the controversial French tomato producer Azura.

Published 09 September 2019
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Protesters blocked two trucks at Ravensdown's plants and approached New Zealand's Prime Minister on the country's dependency on illegally exploited conflict minerals from occupied Western Sahara.

Published 08 September 2019
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Protesters target Ravensdown over its continued purchases of illegally exploited phosphate rock from the last colony in Africa: occupied Western Sahara.

Published 03 September 2019
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The Swedish industrial group that in recent years has refused to answer questions on its participation in Morocco's phosphate plunder in Western Sahara now claims the exploitation of the conflict mineral is legal.

Published 21 May 2019
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Are you casting your vote for the EU elections? Find here a complete overview of MEP candidates who have supported the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara in previous controversial votes. Choose wisely.
 

Published 17 May 2019
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The Bremen port authorities have now confirmed WSRW’s hypothesis that a shipment of fishmeal from Western Sahara arrived in Bremen (Germany) two weeks ago – though they erroneously locate the town of origin, El Aaiun, in “Morocco”.

Published 16 May 2019
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When requesting answers on human rights from HeidelbergCement with regard to its operations in occupied Western Sahara, Saharawi Khadja Bedati was told that the company "deliberately makes social sponsoring of various sports clubs".

Published 10 May 2019
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On Tuesday, a cargo vessel arrived at the port of Bremen with a new probable cargo of conflict meal.

Published 02 May 2019
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Incentivized by Morocco's plans to construct another port to accommodate its exports of conflict minerals from occupied Western Sahara, port construction firm Archirodon Group NV opens a subsidiary in the last colony of Africa.

Published 01 May 2019
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At last week's annual meeting, the German company Continental failed to answer questions relating to the firm's controversial agreement in occupied Western Sahara.

Published 01 May 2019
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The representation of the people of Western Sahara has today initiated legal proceedings against the EU Council over their decision to conclude a trade agreement for occupied Western Sahara with Morocco.

Published 30 April 2019

The New Zealand farmer cooperative Ravensown is one of the main importers of phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara.

Published 09 April 2019
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Morocco shipped 1.93 million tonnes of phosphate out of occupied Western Sahara in 2018, worth an estimated $164 million, new report shows. Here is all you need to know about the volume, values, vessels and clients.

Published 08 April 2019

The UK Court has concluded that the UK government has acted unlawfully in granting preferential tariff treatment to products from Western Sahara through a deal with Morocco, and in granting fisheries quota's for fishing in Western Sahara under a fish deal with Morocco.

Published 28 March 2019
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The contract of German manufacturing giant Continental AG for the Bou Craa mine expires in 15 months from now.

Published 21 March 2019

OCP, Morocco's state-owned phosphate company which exploits the phosphate reserves of occupied Western Sahara, is registered on both the Irish Stock Exchange and on the Casablanca Stock Exchange. As such, it regularly submits Prospectuses, a detailed overview of activites for investors. Find OCP's publicly available Prospectuses here.

Published 21 March 2019
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Polisario has a case, but it should be pursued when the time is right, Court implies.

Published 28 February 2019

415 MEPs supported the new EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement that will be applied expressly to occupied Western Sahara. Find out who they are, here.

Published 28 February 2019
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The imports of fishmeal into Germany from occupied Western Sahara is a lot larger than what has been known to the public so far, according to fresh data from the Bremen government.

Published 25 February 2019
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Notwithstanding four consecutive rulings of the EU's highest Court calling such a practice illegal, the European Parliament has just now voted in favour of the EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement that will be applied to the waters of occupied Western Sahara.

Published 12 February 2019
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The Government of New Zealand has requested that the two local companies importing phosphate rock from Western Sahara source their raw materials from elsewhere than the occupied territory.

Published 12 February 2019
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In its letter to the European Parliament, the leading international human rights NGO highlights the need for an opinion of the EU Court of Justice on applying the EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement to a territory that is under occupation.

Published 11 February 2019
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An unprecedented number of Euro-Parliamentarians have backed a proposal to refer the proposed EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement - which will be expressly applied to occupied Western Sahara - to the EU Court of Justice.

Published 07 February 2019
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Since the EU won't ask them, Saharawi groups have once again been left with no other choice than to contact EU institutions themselves to indicate they do not want the EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement applied to their waters.

Published 06 February 2019
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As the European Parliament shapes up to vote on including occupied Western Sahara into the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement, the newly published Freedom in the World report by Freedom House categorises the territory as the seventh most repressive human rights place on the planet.

Published 06 February 2019
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The Norwegian vessel that turned 180 degrees upon arriving South African waters with fish from occupied Western Sahara, has spent the last two days discharging its cargo in the port of Abidjan. An international request for detaining the vessel was sent out to African states.

Published 04 February 2019
A young Saharawi tea merchant has today died after having set himself on fire three days ago. His self-immolation was reportedly in protest of Morocco's economic restrictions imposed on Saharawis living under the yoke of Morocco's occupation of their homeland.
Published 04 February 2019
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Agricultural groups in Spain strongly criticize the European Parliament's support for extending EU-Morocco trade relations into Western Sahara, stating that it harms the interests of the EU's own fruit and vegetable farmers.

Published 31 January 2019
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"You may have access to paragraphs 1 to 3 including footnotes 1 to 7". The EU Council replied to WSRW's request for public access to its legal opinion on including Western Sahara in the new EU-Morocco fisheries agreement.

Published 30 January 2019
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Nutrien - until now the biggest importer of phosphate rock from Western Sahara - has ended its trade. But what about the stock-exchange registered Sinofert Holdings in which they are the second biggest owner?

Published 27 January 2019
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Only hours after Green Glacier this afternoon arrived Cape Town with a probable cargo of frozen fish from Western Sahara - it started on the 1 week trip back to West Africa without having offloaded any of its controversial cargo.

Published 25 January 2019
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The Canadian company Wolverine last month completed the take-over of Petromaroc, the small company with interest on the Zag block in occupied Western Sahara

Published 23 January 2019
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A Norwegian vessel that is likely transporting frozen fish from occupied Western Sahara could be on thin ice. In three days from now, 'Green Glacier' will enter South African waters - the jurisdiction that detained a stolen cargo from Western Sahara in 2017.

Published 23 January 2019
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The deal will is now tabled for a final vote in the Parliament's plenary session of 13 February.

Published 23 January 2019
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The Indian company Coromandel Fertiliser Ltd last week for the first time acquired phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara.

Published 21 January 2019

The national liberation movement of Western Sahara, Frente Polisario, sent out a press release after the vote in the European Parliament of 16 January 2019 regarding a new trade agreement that covers occupied territory.

Published 17 January 2019
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The leading MEP on the proposal to extend EU-Morocco trade relations into occupied Western Sahara wants a legal opinion to be certain the proposed Western Sahara trade scheme meets the standards of the highest EU Court. The European Parliament is to vote this afternoon.

Published 16 January 2019

The European Parliament today approved a new EU-Morocco trade agreement for Western Sahara, without having asked the people of Western Sahara whether they want it. "A sad day for democracy and those who believe in rule of law", WSRW comments.

Published 16 January 2019

Today, 444 (!) members of the European Parliament decided to ignore the EU case law and vote to include occupied Western Sahara into a trade agreement With Morocco. See here which parliamentarians who voted for this travesty of justice, and whom tried to prevent it.

Published 16 January 2019

WSRW got access to a release sent out to international media by Western Sahara's liberation movement.

Published 15 January 2019

The leading MEP on the controversial Western Sahara trade file has introduced a last minute extra vote on UN consultations and the deal's potential effects on the UN-led peace process.

Published 15 January 2019
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A proposal to undo the ALDE push of removing a debate on Western Sahara trade from the European Parliament's agenda was lost by a narrow margin. These are the 153 parliamentarians who prevented a public discussion on the issue of extending EU-Moroccan trade into occupied Western Sahara.

Published 14 January 2019
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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.

Published 11 January 2019
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In 2015 and 2017, the Norwegian shipping company Spar Shipping transported two large cargos of phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara to India. The company announced today that further trade from the territory is out of the question.

Published 11 January 2019
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97 Saharawi civil society groups have, again, reminded the EU Commission and the European Parliament that the people of Western Sahara have never consented to, nor approve of, the extension of the EU-Morocco trade deal into their occupied homeland that is up for Parliamentary vote next week. Read their full letter here.

Published 11 January 2019
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The proposed trade scheme for occupied Western Sahara denies EU consumers the right to know the true origin of covered products, just like it failed the right of the people of Western Sahara to decide whether they wanted the deal in the first place.

Published 10 January 2019
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As the European Parliament prepares to vote on the extension of the EU-Morocco trade deal into occupied Western Sahara, WSRW calls on newly appointed Rapporteur Marietje Schaake to save her and the Parliament s reputation by suspending the procedure and starting over from scratch.

Published 07 January 2019
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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.

Published 17 December 2018
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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.

Published 11 December 2018
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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".

Published 10 December 2018
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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.

Published 10 December 2018
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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.

Published 08 December 2018
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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.

Published 07 December 2018
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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.

Published 06 December 2018
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BREAKING: the Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that the EU-Morocco Aviation Agreement does not apply to Western Sahara.

Published 05 December 2018
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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.

Published 30 November 2018
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A letter signed by 95 Saharawi civil society organisations appeals to the EU Parliament and Council "to prevent EU plundering of a people's fish in Western Sahara".

Published 28 November 2018
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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.

Published 28 November 2018
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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.

Published 28 November 2018
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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.

Published 26 November 2018
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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.

Published 23 November 2018

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

Published 22 November 2018
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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.

Published 22 November 2018
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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.

Published 21 November 2018
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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.

Published 19 November 2018

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.

Published 16 November 2018
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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.

Published 14 November 2018
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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.

Published 12 November 2018
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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.

Published 06 November 2018
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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.

Published 06 November 2018
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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”.

Published 29 October 2018
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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.

Published 25 October 2018
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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.
 

Published 24 October 2018