Brussels, November 9, 2013 (SPS) – Member of the European Parliament, Spanish Raul Romega said that the agreement on fisheries between Morocco and the European Union "is illegal" as "contrary to international law," noting that Morocco is seeking "a European political support" to the occupation of Western Sahara.
Addressing the Committee on Fisheries and Agriculture of the European Parliament, Romega said that the fisheries agreement between Morocco and the EU "is illegal as contrary to international law."
Through this agreement, Morocco seeks not only a trade protocol but rather "a European support" for its occupation of Western Sahara in particular from Spain and France which are working, he said, to "bring us to endorse this plan and satisfy Morocco."
The European Parliament called on this occasion to respect international law by "excluding the territorial waters of Western Sahara from the agreement" as it has already been done by the United States in their agreements with Morocco recalling the legal recommendations of the European Parliament excluding the territorial waters of Western Sahara.
He said in this regard that the Sahrawis must be consulted on all matters relating to their territories and income of these agreements.
At the meeting of the Committee on Fisheries and Agriculture of the European Parliament, several MEPs, including Spanish, Swedish and Finnish ones, were against the fisheries agreement with Morocco stressing the need to totally exclude the Sahrawi territories from this MoU saying that the inclusion of Western Sahara in the agreement is a "violation" of international law.
The MEPs also noted non-respect by Morocco of human rights in Western Sahara recalling the Charles Tannock report of the European Parliament on Human Rights in Western Sahara and the Sahel, reports of the UN Rapporteur and international organizations on torture. (SPS)
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