“The (European) Commission will abide by the ruling of the CJEU, whose rulings are binding to all EU institutions and to all its member states,” she said in her written answer to the Euro-deputy Miguel Urban Crespo, who urged the Commission to suspend negotiations on new trade, agricultural and fishing agreements with Morocco.

In this regard, Mogherini said that the Commission “has taken note” of the CJEU’s ruling and is examining it in order to determine the consequences and possible actions to be taken.

As regards the CJEU’s ruling of 21 December 2016, she acknowledged that the EU-Morocco association agreement “does not provide, at present, for any legal basis to grant tariff preferences for products from the occupied Western Sahara.”

The Euro-deputy called on the EU to suspend imports from Western Sahara in accordance with the CJEU’s ruling of 21 December 2016, in which it concluded that no trade or association agreement between the EU and Morocco may be applied to Western Sahara, since the territory is “separate and distinct” from Morocco. (SPS)

Sahara Press Service

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletters in English and or French. You will receive one email every Monday containing links to all articles published in the last 7 days.