Italy reiterated its endorsement of the “fundamental” partnership between the European Union and Morocco, particularly in the agriculture and fisheries sectors on Saturday, following the Court of Justice of the European Union’s (CJEU) recent ruling on the agriculture and fisheries agreement.
The ruling concerns the labeling of products from Morocco’s southern provinces. It follows a 2021 CJEU decision favoring the Polisario Front, which claims the EU-Morocco deal was concluded without the consent of the Sahrawi people.
The Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, stated that Italy “seeks to enhance its partnership with the Kingdom.”
“The government is committed to enhancing cooperation [with Morocco], particularly on countering illegal immigration, as I will reiterate during my visit to Rabat,” he stated on X.
He also added that the EU Court ruling “should take into account” the strategic importance of the Morocco-EU partnership, which has already been recognized by several EU partners.
European countries such as France, Spain, and Belgium have affirmed their unwavering commitment to maintaining strong ties with Morocco and to respecting the CJEU’s ruling.