(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) BRUSSELS, Oct 6 (KUNA) -- The European Union (EU) announced on Monday that it has reached an agreement with the Kingdom of Morocco to amend their bilateral trade agreement to include imports from the disputed Western Sahara region.
In a press release, the EU said the new agreement "reinforces the long-standing partnership between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco," noting that the two sides "have over the years established a deep friendship and a strong, multifaceted cooperation."
The new accord follows a ruling last year by the European Court of Justice to annul the farm produce agreement between the two sides after a legal challenge filed by the Polisario Front, which seeks independence for the territory.
According to the statement, the amended agreement stipulates that "goods originating from the region must clearly specify their source in order to benefit from preferential tariffs," adding that the 2024 court ruling stated that "product labels must indicate Western Sahara alone as the country of origin of those goods, without any reference to Morocco, so as to avoid misleading consumers as to their true origin."
The EU noted that the new agreement has entered into force provisionally and will be definitively approved following ratification by EU member states and the European Parliament. (end)
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