Brussels: The European Union (EU) has announced a groundbreaking agreement with the Kingdom of Morocco to amend their bilateral trade agreement, now including imports from the contested Western Sahara region.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the EU's press release emphasized that the updated agreement strengthens the enduring partnership between the European Union and Morocco, highlighting their deep friendship and multifaceted cooperation developed over the years. This development follows a previous ruling by the European Court of Justice, which annulled the farm produce agreement between the two parties after a legal challenge by the Polisario Front, which advocates for the independence of the Western Sahara territory.
The amended agreement mandates that goods originating from Western Sahara must clearly specify their source to qualify for preferential tariffs. The 2024 court ruling further requires that product labels must indicate Western Sahara as the sole country of origin, without reference to Morocco, to prevent consumer deception regarding the true origin of the goods. The EU noted that this agreement has provisionally come into effect and is pending final approval after ratification by EU member states and the European Parliament.