During a hearing at the European Parliament, on Thursday 9 February, Morocco's new ambassador to the EU, Ahmed Reda Chami told MEPs from the delegation for relations with countries of the Maghreb that Morocco "aspires to enjoy the status of associate partner" of the EU. His statements were in contrast to the recent development in these relations, which have been jeopardised since the ruling of the European Court of Justice in December 2015. Relations have been "seriously damaged", according to Moroccan media which cite official sources.
Rabat seems to have blown hot and cold since this ruling which urges the EU to make a distinction, in agreements that have already been concluded or that are to be concluded in the future, between the territory of Morocco as recognised internationally, and that of the Western Sahara (see EUROPE 11694). "There is no Sahrawi people, it's a fabrication", he said, recounting history to support his position. He called for a return to "the spirit of judgment" and for the preservation of the interests of the inhabitants of the territory, who will be "punished" if the benefit of agreements is withdrawn from them.
In reality, the ambassador did not have much time to set out his point of view on the follow-up to be given to this Court ruling and the legal path to be chosen to overcome the current stalemate. The same day, quoting an article from French news agency AFP and mentioning a "Moroccan senior diplomatic source", media reported that Rabat "can no longer bear the pre-meditated and discrediting inconsistency from the European Union, which is no longer capable of giving credit to its own signature".
The MEPs Gilles Pargneaux (S&D, France), Cristian Dan Preda (EPP, Romania), María Teresa Giménez Barbat (ALDE, Spain), Ana Gomez (S&D, Portugal), Florent Marcellesi (Greens/EFA, Spain), Maria Arena (S&D, Belgium) and Marie-Christine Vergiat (GUE/NGL, France) all attended the hearing, and while some spoke to express their clear support for the Moroccan arguments, others spoke in total criticism of its policy on the Western Sahara. The ambassador asked them to discuss the substance and asserted that "Morocco had proposed a win-win solution in 2007" , in other words, the offer of "broad autonomy" enabling the inhabitants of the "southern provinces" to manage their local business and resources. Florent Marcellesi said the delegation should invite the Polisario to a hearing so that the debate was not "biased". He also asked for explanations from the European External Action Service, saying that out of the 661 Moroccan companies held as beneficiaries of the bilateral cooperation, 118 reportedly already have their main office in the Western Sahara, which is contrary to the agreements and to the Court ruling. The reply will be given in writing, it was announced. Maria Arena spoke about the deep and comprehensive free trade agreement (DCFTA), saying that if trade was not "redistributive, it will be destructive", and like Ana Gomez, she wanted the cooperation to have more consideration of the plight of women.
The ambassador mostly spoke about the general framework of the cooperation. It is "an old relationship that has been through ups and downs, like any relationship", he said, trying to correct the effect of the words two days previously of Morocco's Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Aziz Akhannouch, which were perceived as threatening (see EUROPE 11721). Akhannouch had expressed his anger, threatening to allow a gush of illegal migrants into the EY and to turn to partners other than Europe. For the ambassador, on the other hand, the EU is a "partner of choice" with which his country shares a "social project": "large worksites are open" after the enforced break in 2016, the ambassador said.
Before the hearing, the Maghreb delegation elected Inés Ayala Sender (S&D, Spain) as its leader for a mandate running until the end of the current legislature of the European Parliament. (Original version in French by Fathi B’Chir)