| | The British Government has been condemned by War on Want and campaign groups from across Europe today for supporting a Fisheries Agreement that will allow European ships to fish off the coast of illegally occupied Western Sahara, despite claims that this violates international law. Sweden stood alone in opposing the Agreement though Finland, the Netherlands and Ireland conditioned their support with a statement that the Agreement should benefit the 'local population' of Western Sahara. The Agreement, between the EU and Morocco, which has occupied Western Sahara for 30 years, will now go into effect after being ratified by the Moroccan Parliament. A European-wide coalition (www.fishelsewhere.org) has warned the European Commission that they could now face a legal challenge in the European courts. Last week the British Government's own MEPs in Parliament, along with the Green group and rebel MEPs, voted against the Agreement. Nick Dearden of the British anti-poverty campaign group War on Want, said: |
