Spain’s People’s Party (PP) plans to present a non-binding motion in the Foreign Affairs Committee next week opposing the Spanish government’s move to hand over control of Sahara’s airspace to Morocco, calling it “a betrayal of Spain’s interests,” according to media reports.
They argue that “such a decision would go against international law and amount to an indirect recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the southern territory.”
The People’s Party is therefore planning to block any attempt by the socialist wing of the coalition government to cede Sahara airspace to Morocco, following negotiations between the two countries that began two years ago after Spain shifted its position on the Sahara dispute.
The party is also calling on the government to adhere to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) mandates, a United Nations agency concerned with international civil aviation, ensuring Spain maintains its control over the Sahara’s airspace.
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Spanish Congress is set to debate and vote on this proposal next Thursday, April 10.
Though the Spanish Foreign Ministry had previously recognized negotiations with Rabat regarding the transfer of airspace authority, the situation has since been marked by a complete lack of transparency, as described by the same source.
At the end of last year, neither the Foreign Ministry nor Aena, Spain’s airport manager, offered any updates on the talks, which the government had initially confirmed in March 2023.
Airspace management comes in line with the Joint Declaration of April 7, 2020, which laid out the roadmap for renewed relations between Spain and Morocco. Point 7 of the declaration explicitly mentioned that discussions on airspace management would be launched between the two brotherly countries.
The People’s Party accuses the government of keeping both Parliament and the public in the dark regarding ongoing talks with Morocco and is demanding full transparency.
They are calling on the government to immediately update Congress on the status of these negotiations, to guarantee that Spain—through ENAIRE—will continue managing the airspace under ICAO oversight, and to ensure that any potential changes are openly debated in Parliament and backed by international aviation authorities.
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