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Rabat – Belgium has voiced its support for the EU’s response to the recent European Court of Justice (ECJ) rulings on trade agreements involving Western Sahara. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Belgium’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to a statement by the European Union, which emphasized its commitment to its strategic partnership with Morocco despite the legal challenges raised by the ECJ.
“Belgium supports this declaration on the EU Court of Justice judgments relating to Western Sahara. Belgium reiterates its attachment to friendship and to the strategic partnership between the EU and Morocco and will continue to work to deepen it,” the ministry added.
The statement comes in the wake of the recent ECJ rulings, which questioned the legality of trade and fisheries agreements between the EU and Morocco that include products from the disputed Western Sahara region.
According to the ECJ, these agreements violated the right of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination, claiming they were concluded without sufficient consultation with the local population. The court suggested that products from the region should be clearly labeled to reflect their origin.
Despite the ruling, the EU, along with several of its member states, including Belgium, France, and Spain, have reiterated their commitment to strengthening their ties with Morocco. These countries have emphasized the strategic importance of their relationships with the North African country, both politically and economically.
France, for instance, reaffirmed its dedication to Morocco’s efforts in Western Sahara, stressing its intent to preserve the benefits of the EU-Morocco partnership. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement reiterating the significance of the relationship and mentioned that President Emmanuel Macron had conveyed France’s support for Morocco’s development efforts in the region in a message to King Mohammed VI on Morocco’s Throne Day.
Similarly, Spain’s Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares, addressed the Spanish Congress, where he emphasized Spain’s unchanged position on Western Sahara, reaffirming its support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for the region.
Morocco has strongly rejected the ECJ’s rulings, deeming the decision legally flawed and undermining the country’s territorial integrity.
Morocco has pointed to a recent ruling by the UK High Court, which rejected a similar challenge by a pro-Polisario group regarding a Morocco-UK trade agreement. Rabat has cited this ruling as an example of impartiality, contrasting it with the stance of the ECJ.
