The European Court of Justice ruled on Friday that the European Commission had violated the right of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination by concluding trade agreements with Morocco.
The court’s decision, which comes after several appeals by the Commission, found that the EU’s fishing and agriculture agreements with Morocco, signed in 2019, did not have the consent of the people of Western Sahara.
The court said that a consultation process conducted by the EU had not adequately involved the Sahrawi people.
As a result of the ruling, the court ordered that products produced in Western Sahara, such as melons and tomatoes, must be labeled as such. The court said that labeling the products as originating from Morocco would mislead consumers.
The European Commission said it was currently reviewing the court’s decision, while Morocco’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The ruling is a significant victory for the Polisario Front, a Sahrawi independence movement that has been fighting for Western Sahara’s sovereignty since Morocco annexed the territory in 1975.
The Polisario Front has declared the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), and thousands of Sahrawi refugees have been living in camps in Algeria since the 1990s.
The court’s decision could have major implications for the EU’s relations with Morocco and the future of Western Sahara. The Polisario Front has called on the EU to withdraw its trade agreements with Morocco and negotiate with the SADR instead.