Fisheries agreement : The CJEU to pronounce its ruling on the 27th of February

On the 27th of February, the Court of Justice of the European Union is to pronounce its ruling on the Morocco-EU fisheries agreement, announced the SPS news agency quoting the British law firm Leigh Day & Co.

The latter was commissioned in March 2015 by the NGO Western Sahara Campaign to file a complaint against the British Ministry of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Royal Revenue Tax Department for «illegal» exports of products coming from Western Sahara. A case then submitted to the CJEU by the Supreme Court of Great Britain, which declared itself incompetent to decide on it.

A significant date

The Judges of the CJEU have chosen the 27th of February to pronounce their ruling on the case, a step that might anger Rabat. In fact, on the same day, the Polisario Front is commemorating the 42nd anniversairy of the proclamation of the first «government of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic».

Moreover, the recent events that were in favor of the Morocco-EU fisheries agreement signed in 2014 are also worrying the camp. On the 10th of January, general advocate advisor, Melchior Wathelet, asked the court to annul the agreement.

An opinion that completely upset the agenda of the EU Commission and fueled the uncertainties of Spanish professionals and the Rajoy government. However, on January 3rd, the services of Claude Junker asked for the authorization of the European Union to start negotiations with Rabat for the renewal of the current fishing agreement that will expire next July.