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A lawyer and founder of the Brussels-based NGO «Dialogue for Europe» Eli Hadzhieva has stated that «the support that the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) shows for the Polisario would give legitimacy to the separatist wave in Catalonia», reports the Spanish daily newspaper ABC.
Referring to the fisheries agreement concluded between Morocco and the European Union, Hadzhieva believes that the CJEU’s ruling might lead to «a domino effect in Wallonia or Catalonia, which would jeopardize the stability of the European Union».
For the record, the CJEU considered that including the disputed region of «Western Sahara» in this fisheries agreement would violate international laws.
She added that the CJEU has never examined «harmful issues on international agreements signed by the European Union so far». Eli Hadzhieva asserted that CJEU’s Attorney-General Melchior Wathelet has «surprisingly» sided with the Polisario, while «the EU must be cautious with its legal theories on the Sahara because it weakens Morocco, which guarantees stability in North Africa».
A regional ally for the EU
She emphasized that «66% of the EU’s social budget dedicated to cooperation in the fisheries sector remains in the Sahara and that accounts for 35 million Euros per year», adding that «every Euro spent on the fisheries agreement creates an added value estimated at 2.78 Euros in markets such as Spain».
This has serious economic, social and political consequences, because «Morocco could feel isolated and less cooperative on security issues on the borders with the EU, threatened by extremist groups in the Sahel and North Africa», she added.
Eli recalled that Morocco is an ally for Europe when it comes to issues linked to «migration, development, the fight against radicalization, economic and trade cooperation and relations with the African Union.»
Eli Hadzhieva concluded, declaring that in 1976 «when Spain withdrew from the Sahara, in accordance with the Madrid Agreement, there was no Sahrawi state.»
