This is a report we picked up from our contacts in Europe, FYI. Ed
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Today, the European Parliament (EP) has given its consent to the EU-Morocco Agreement on reciprocal liberalisation measures on agricultural products and fishery products (369 MEPs in favor, 225 against, 31 abstentions), going against José Bové’s (rapporteur) position. This Agreement is based on the Association Agreement in force since 2000, which provided for the gradual implementation of greater liberalisation of reciprocal trade for these products. It does not make a reference to Western Sahara.
In addition, the EP also adopted a resolution on this Agreement, calling “on the Commission to ensure that the agreement is fully consistent with international law and benefits all the local population groups affected”. Western Sahara is not mentioned as such. This resolution was supported by the main political groups of the EP (including the centre-right EPP, the Socialists, and the Liberals) and was adopted by a significant majority of MEPs (398 in favor, 175 against, and 50 abstentions). Two amendments proposed by the Greens and the extreme left, indicating that “Western Sahara is not part of Morocco and should not be included either explicitly or implicitly within the scope of any agreement the EU signs with the Kingdom of Morocco” were massively rejected.
The EP’s political environment for the debate on the future Fisheries Agreement has slightly improved. However, MEPs will still pay a careful attention to the substance of the upcoming Agreement; and they will unlikely support an Agreement that will not include the position they expressed in December 2011.
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