Euro-Mediterranean Security: A Search for Partnership: A Search for Partnership by Sven Biscop

Author:Sven Biscop [Biscop, Sven]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: International Relations, Diplomacy, General, Social Science, Political Science, Sociology, Geopolitics, Security (National & International)
ISBN: 9781351771634
Google: IoVHDwAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 36961796
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2017-11-22T00:00:00+00:00

Western Sahara

Next to the crisis in Algeria, another, often forgotten conflict, divides the Maghreb: the issue of Western Sahara. The EU has declined to become involved in the issue and has limited itself to verbally supporting the UN efforts to settle the matter, and even that rather reservedly. Just three CFSP declarations have been issued (29 December 1998, 21 June 1999 and 5 March 2003). Actual EU behaviour even tends to favour the Moroccan view of the issue, in spite of the Union's verbal support for the settlement plan and the right to self-determination of the Sahrawis. Officially none of the Member States accepts Morocco's annexation of the territory in 1975, especially not since the ICJ rejected Morocco's sovereignty claims. But the terms of the fishing treaty with Morocco, which is regularly renegotiated, remain ambiguous on the question of whether the Saharan waters are included, while European fishing practice effectively recognizes, and thus provides legitimacy to, Morocco's presence in Western Sahara. The Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement with Morocco does not take the issue into account at all. Apparently, the EU has preferred to maintain close relations with Morocco, which is an important supporter of the EMP, rather than antagonizing it by pushing for a solution of the Western Sahara issue. If the principles of the Barcelona Declaration are to be fully applied, the Western Sahara issue should be settled according to the Resolutions of the Security Council and the EU should make use of its influence to put pressure on Morocco to implement them.

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