The European Parliament has endorsed an updated air services agreement between the European Union (EU) and Morocco, explicitly excluding Western Sahara from its scope. This decision aligns with the European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) stance, which defines the territory as separate and distinct from Morocco itself.

The revised protocol, adopted earlier this month, extends the original agreement to Croatia—a new EU member since July 2013—without altering its core legal framework. By omitting Western Sahara, the EU reaffirms its refusal to recognize any Moroccan sovereignty or administrative control over the region.

Western Sahara’s Resource and Legal Affairs Working Group praised the parliamentary vote, calling it a pivotal legal and political breakthrough. In a formal statement, the group hailed the exclusion as an unmistakable recognition of Sahrawi sovereignty.

In a press release, the group emphasized that by restricting the agreement to Morocco’s internationally recognized borders, the EU has reinforced Western Sahara’s status as a territory where Rabat holds no legitimate authority. Oubi Bouchraya Bachir, the group’s chair, declared, «This legislative move draws a clear legal line, separating Western Sahara from Morocco under international law.»

The International Observatory for Western Sahara Resource Monitoring also welcomed the decision, clarifying that while the update accommodates Croatia’s EU accession, it does not alter the territorial scope of the aviation accord. The Observatory reiterated the ECJ’s 2018 ruling: EU-Morocco agreements cannot apply to Western Sahara. It further noted that the European Commission has consistently upheld this interpretation, instructing EU carriers that flights to or from Western Sahara fall outside the agreement’s jurisdiction.