Shaheed El Hafed (Sahrawi Republic) September 30, 2025 (SPS) - The Sahrawi Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Observatory (SONREP) has firmly condemned the European Commission's attempts to sign a new agreement with the Kingdom of Morocco that includes the occupied territories of Western Sahara, in flagrant violation of international law and the rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).
In a press release issued on Monday, the Observatory stressed that any agreement concerning Western Sahara without the explicit consent of the Sahrawi people, through their sole internationally recognized representative, the Polisario Front, constitutes an illegal act. This undermines the principle of permanent sovereignty over the natural resources of this people, directly violates the United Nations Charter, and hinders peace efforts in this territory, which is undergoing an unfinished decolonization process.
SONREP condemns the draft European Commission trade agreement including occupied Western Sahara, regarding which the EU Court of Justice had concluded that Western Sahara is a separate and distinct territory from Morocco, and that no agreement can be concluded without the consent of the Sahrawi people.
"Ignoring the rulings of the EU Court of Justice not only encourages Morocco in its occupation but also exposes European institutions and companies to serious legal risks and tarnishes the EU's credibility."
SONREP called on the European Commission and EU member states to immediately suspend all negotiations with Morocco regarding Western Sahara and to commit to fully complying with CJEU rulings and international law.
The Observatory called for ensuring that any future agreement is conditional upon the free, prior, and informed consent of the Sahrawi people, through their legitimate representative, the Polisario Front, in accordance with the right to self-determination.
It also called for guarantees for human rights and environmental protection, subject to independent monitoring.
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