The European Parliament has delivered a decisive setback to Algeria and its Polisario-backed lobbying efforts by endorsing the European Commission’s delegated act on the labelling of agricultural products from Morocco’s southern provinces.
The vote, held on Nov 26, rejected an objection motion spearheaded by far-right and anti-Morocco groups, clearing the way for full implementation of the Morocco-EU agricultural agreement.
This outcome confirms the legal and commercial validity of the October 3 exchange of letters between Rabat and Brussels, which amended the existing farm trade deal to explicitly include products from Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra and Dakhla-Oued Eddahab under the same preferential access conditions as those from the rest of the Kingdom.
Labels will now indicate the regions of origin for goods produced in Morocco’s southern provinces, strengthening traceability and compliance standards while facilitating market access.
The vote is widely seen as a blow to Algeria and the Polisario, whose lobbying in Brussels sought to derail the agreement by questioning its legality. Their objection failed to gain traction, reaffirming the EU’s recognition of Morocco’s territorial integrity in the context of trade relations.
By rejecting the motion and validating the Commission’s approach, the European Parliament has reinforced the strategic partnership between Morocco and the EU. The decision not only secures uninterrupted agricultural exports but also sends a clear political message: the Sahara regions are integral to Morocco’s trade framework with Europe.