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At a press briefing on Tuesday with the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita expressed appreciation for the support shown by «19 European countries» for the strategic partnership with Morocco.
This support came in response to the October 4 ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in favor of the Polisario. The previous day, during the plenary session of the European Parliament, a similar display of support for Morocco was evident as its allies clashed with Euro-deputies aligned with the Polisario.
The conflict began with a proposal by Portuguese MEP João Oliveira of the Left Group to include the CJEU rulings on the session's agenda. He explained that his goal was «to discuss concrete measures to implement this decision, as well as the necessary steps to be taken by the European Union to contribute to the realization of the Saharawi people's right to self-determination, in compliance with United Nations resolutions».
This proposal was rejected by 254 parliamentarians, while 189 voted in favor, and 8 abstained. MEPs from the European People's Party (EPP), far-right parties in the Patriots for Europe Group, the Renew Group (launched in 2019 by French President Emmanuel Macron), and the Social Democrats voted against the proposal.
Swedish MEP Jörgen Warborn of the EPP justified the rejection of João Oliveira's initiative, stating, «As the CJEU rulings were delivered on Friday (October 4), we believe it is premature to debate them in plenary. This issue should be assessed and analyzed in the Fisheries Committee, the Agriculture Committee, or the INTA (International Trade) Committee. Therefore, a plenary debate is not necessary at this stage».
It's worth noting that in February 2019, the European Parliament approved the fisheries agreement between Morocco and the EU, including the waters of Western Sahara, by a vote of 415 to 189 with 49 abstentions.
