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Rabat – Morocco’s Justice and Development Party (PJD) has expressed concerns over a hostile proposal outlined by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with regard to the EU-Morocco trade agreement.
The memorandum from Denmark, which holds a rotating EU presidency, aims to “maintain existing trade relations and thus allow for the importation from Western Sahara at the same preferential tariff rates applicable to Morocco.”
It also aims for the new EU-Morocco trade agreement to align with the ruling of the European Court of Justice.
Last year, the court announced a hostile ruling that the EU-Morocco trade agreement “violated the right of self-determination of Western Sahara’s population” by concluding trade agreements with Morocco that included products from the country’s southern provinces.
In a statement, PJD said it was surprised by the content of the memorandum issued on August 20, concerning the opening of negotiations on the review of the trade agreement between Morocco and the EU.
“The Secretariat General recalls its position following the European Court of Justice’s ruling of October 4, 2024, which clearly affirmed that Morocco’s sovereignty over the Moroccan Sahara is not subject to any form of extortion or negotiation.”
PJD recalls Morocco’s official position, stressing the centrality of the UN as the exclusive body handling the Western Sahara dispute. It also recalled that the Autonomy Plan remains the only viable political proposal to end the dispute.
“The Secretariat also calls on the European Union to take into account the strategic ties between Morocco and the EU, and to engage positively with the growing momentum that this issue has gained at both regional and international levels,” PPJD wrote, referencing the growing support Morocco’s Autonomy Plan receives from more than 20 European countries.
This includes the position of several “influential European countries in favor of Morocco’s just and legitimate stance regarding the Moroccan Sahara within the framework of the autonomy initiative, respecting Morocco’s full sovereignty over its territory as the sole framework for resolving this artificially created regional dispute.”
PJD’s statement reflects Morocco’s categorical refusal of ECJ’s ruling, with Rabat emphasizing that the court’s verdict contains legal errors and suspicious mistakes.
The EU also defended its partnership with Morocco. Rabat, however, has called for the EU to reflect its support and safeguard for this partnership through actions and not only words.
Morocco has consistently stressed that the dispute over Western Sahara is the lens through which it views its relations and cooperation with other countries, refusing any negotiations or agreements that undermine its most important cause.
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