Fisheries & Farming Accords: EU voices strong attachment to strategic partnership with Morocco

The European Union has expressed strong attachment to the strategic partnership built with Morocco, following the ruling issued Friday by the European Court of Justice on the fishing and agricultural agreements concluded between the North African Kingdom and the European bloc.

“The EU reiterates the high value it attaches to its strategic Partnership with Morocco, which is long-standing, wide-ranging and deep”, said European Commission President Von Der Leyen and EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell in a joint statement.

“Over the years, we have established a profound friendship and a solid and multi-faceted cooperation, which we intend to take to the next level in the coming weeks and months”, added the top EU officials.

In close cooperation with Morocco, the “EU firmly intends to preserve and continue strengthening close relations with Morocco in all areas of the Morocco-EU Partnership, in line with the principle of pacta sunt servanda”, said the joint statement.

The EU takes note that the European Court of Justice preserves the validity of the agreement on agricultural products for an additional 12 months.

Morocco says it is in no way concerned by the ECJ ruling as the case involves the EU against the Algeria-backed ‘polisario’. Yet, the court’s “decision contains obvious legal errors and suspicious errors of fact,” says a press release issued by the Moroccan foreign ministry, noting that this shows a total ignorance of the case realities, if not a politically biased ruling.