Brussels (Belgium), February 18, 2017 (SPS) - The Western Sahara Intergroup in the European Parliament will soon address the European Commission to request the “effective” implementation of the Court of Justice of the European Union’s ruling “without equivocations or political detours,” said Friday the Sahrawi Deputy Minister for Europe Mohamed Sidati.
“The intergroup will address the European Union to request the elaboration of a roadmap that will enable the effective implementation of the Court’s ruling without equivocation or political detours,” Sidati told APS.
In its ruling of 21 December, the EUCJ concluded that the association and free trade agreements between the EU and Morocco do not apply to Western Sahara, as it is “a distinct and separate” territory , in accordance with the United Nations Charter.
Reaffirming the determination of the Sahrawi authorities to carry out the implementation of this ruling, Sidati called on the European Union to get closer to the Frente POLISARIO in order to engage “frank” negotiations and reach an agreement to make the presence of European companies in Western Sahara legal because “no activity is possible without the consent of the Frente POLISARIO.”
“Following the EUCJ ruling, the European companies no longer have any legal framework to stay in Western Sahara,” he recalled.
In this regard, he underlined the need for the European Union to work for a “just solution” to the conflict in Western Sahara, warning against “increasing tensions” in the region that could affect Europe. SPS
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