Rabat — More countries have joined the growing list of European Union member states that are denouncing the biased ruling of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), which targets the EU-Morocco partnership agreements related to fisheries and agricultural trade.
On Saturday, Portugal emphasized the importance of the EU-Morocco partnership, describing it as “essential,” and reaffirmed its willingness to work with European partners to deepen it in all areas.
“Portugal considers the partnership between the European Union and Morocco to be essential and will work with European partners and EU institutions to deepen it in all areas,” the Portuguese Foreign Ministry stated.
Both countries maintain a strategic partnership marked by a “long-standing relationship of respect and friendship with significant political, diplomatic, and economic substance,” the statement concluded.
Several countries echoed the same sentiment, including the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Finland.
On Saturday, the Netherlands said that it is committed to its strategic partnership between the EU and Morocco.
“We reaffirm our firm commitment to the EU-Morocco strategic partnership,” the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, noting the country’s support for the joint statement by the President of the EU Commission and the High Representative of the EU regarding the European court’s ruling.
On Friday, the court issued a biased ruling aligning with Polisario and pro-Polisario campaigns, targeting Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over its southerner provinces in Western Sahara.
The ECJ ruled that the EU Commission “violated the right to self-determination of the people of Western Sahara” by concluding trade agreements with Morocco that included products from Morocco’s southern provinces.
In response to the ruling, the European Union backed its partnership with Morocco, noting that it is committed to its long-standing, strategic, and mutually beneficial relationship with Rabat.
“The EU reiterates the high value it attaches to its strategic partnership with Morocco, which is long-standing, wide-ranging, and deep,” the statement said.
Morocco also responded to ECJ’s verdict, noting that the North African country is consistent in its position that it will not agree to any agreement or legal instrument that does not respect its territorial integrity.
The country added that it does not consider the ECJ’s ruling as relevant or important for its agricultural or fisheries agreements with the EU.
“The content of this decision contains obvious legal errors and suspicious factual mistakes,” the ministry stated , arguing that this indicates a complete misunderstanding of the realities of the case “if not a blatant political bias.”
