Brussels, Nov 6, 2013 (SPS) - “Given the opinions and resolutions of the European Parliament and United Nations, being violated in the Western Sahara by Morocco, European Union’s fisheries agreement with Morocco lacks legality,” said Ms. Isabella Lövin, Swedish member of the European Parliament.
“As you know, the legal counsel of the United Nations has issued an advisory opinion in this matter, which shows that the topic is not only about the benefit of the population, but also about the agreements on natural resources of a people have not yet enjoyed their right to self-determination,” underlined Ms. Lövin, in a speech during the debate on the EU-Morocco’s fishing agreement at the level of the Fisheries and Agriculture Committee in the European Parliament on Monday.
Addressing the Spanish Chairwoman of the Committee on Fisheries Ms. Carmen Fraga, the Swedish MEP said: “we have been told that the Saharawi people have been contacted and met with on this topic.”
She invited the Committee to have a look in the paragraph eight of the decision taken by the European Parliament on 21 November 2010, which requested that the agreement should include an item forcing Morocco to respect human rights in the Western Sahara.
The Swedish MEP underlined that the Commission sent a parliamentary delegation to Morocco and Western Sahara in 2010 to assess the situation at first hand and know the Saharawis’ opinions regarding this agreement, but Morocco expelled this delegation.
He recalled to the position of the EU Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Maritime Ms. Maria Damanaki, which stated that this Committee has never received explanations from Morocco about the benefit of the population.
“We are speaking here about key and essential decisions in the protocol to the new agreement, which poorly and shamefully point out to the topic of human rights, even though it is the basis of all relationships. Any agreement does have no sense, unless it respects human rights,” said Mr. Lövin.
“I am wondering before you once again: why does Morocco reject that this agreement contains an item forcing it to respect human rights, which is enshrined in all trade and economic agreements across the world,” she added.
Swedish MEP revealed that she, personally, along with three colleagues had informed everybody, including the Moroccan ambassador to the EU, about their plans to visit the Western Sahara to meet the Saharawis and Moroccan authorities, but they were prevented and expelled by Morocco.
“How can we be informed about the situation of human rights, since we are denied the access into the territory,” she regretted. (SPS)
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