DR ‹ › The French government has rejected a request from MP René Pilato of La France insoumise, who had called on Paris to require products from Morocco's southern provinces to be labeled as originating from «Western Sahara». In a written question, the parliamentarian argued that labeling such products as Moroccan would «mislead consumers and violate European Union legislation». In its response, seen by Yabiladi, the French government reaffirmed that Paris remains «fully committed to its exceptional partnership with Morocco, which it intends to strengthen across all sectors». The government recalled that, «as stated by the President of the Republic, for France, the present and future of Western Sahara fall within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty». The government also reiterated that «France supports Morocco's efforts toward the economic and social development of Western Sahara, for the benefit of local populations». This position, it noted, was already expressed by former Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné during his visit to Rabat in February 2024, well before President Emmanuel Macron formally recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara in a letter dated July 30, 2024. «The relationship between the European Union and Morocco also has a strategic dimension», the French government added in its response. The written question comes just weeks after the European Parliament rejected, on November 26, a proposal seeking to annul the October 3 agreement between Morocco and the European Commission. That initiative, backed by lawmakers from the right, left, and far right, called for agricultural products from the region to be labeled as originating from «Western Sahara», rather than under their Moroccan administrative designations, Laâyoune–Sakia El Hamra and Dakhla–Oued Eddahab.
