Spain: Morocco to keep Ceuta, Melilla borders closed until EU Sahara position shift

Morocco has no intention of reopening trade borders with the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla until the EU recognizes Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara, according to OkDiario.

The Spanish foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, said that Morocco will not proceed with the border openings until the EU definitively supports Morocco’s position on its Sahara. 

This stance comes in the wake of a recent European Court of Justice ruling that annulled agricultural and fisheries agreements between the EU and Morocco due to their inclusion of the Moroccan Sahara.

While Morocco has no immediate plans to reopen customs in Ceuta and Melilla, citing technical complexities, Spanish diplomatic sources have directly connected the delay to the EU’s position on the Sahara.

These sources have also expressed Morocco’s discontent with the European Court of Justice’s decision, viewing it as a setback to its ambitions for sovereignty over its Sahara. Consequently, Morocco is employing other pressure tactics.

Diplomats close to the customs file have indicated that Morocco is unwilling to take any steps that could be interpreted as recognizing Ceuta and Melilla as Spanish cities and, therefore, part of Europe, until the dispute over agricultural and fisheries agreements is resolved and the EU acknowledges Moroccan Sahara’s products as Moroccan.

The Spanish government had previously viewed the reopening of these trade borders as a significant turning point in Morocco’s regional demands regarding the two enclaves. But the indefinite delay suggests that Morocco is using this issue as leverage to secure more favorable terms from the EU. 

Spanish officials, including Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, had expressed optimism about the reopening of the customs posts, but Morocco’s recent stance has dashed these hopes. 

The Spanish government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, had prioritized this issue during a visit to Morocco earlier this year but failed to secure a breakthrough. 

The CJEU ruling has strained relations between the EU and Morocco, and the ongoing dispute over the Moroccan Sahara continues to cast a long shadow over the region. Spain, which has traditionally sought to maintain strong ties with Morocco, is now caught in a delicate balancing act between its European commitments and its bilateral relationship with Morocco.