European parliament approves updated air agreement with Morocco excluding western Sahara

The letter of the law stands clear, yet its application remains ambiguous. The recently revised aviation accord explicitly excludes Western Sahara—but the European Commission continues to permit EU airlines to operate flights there, overlooking the exclusion entirely.

On July 8, 2026, the European Parliament endorsed the protocol updating the Euro-Mediterranean aviation agreement between the EU and Morocco, following Croatia’s accession to the Union. The revised accord passed with overwhelming support: 625 in favor, 16 against, and 20 abstentions.

This protocol serves as a technical adjustment, reflecting Croatia’s EU membership without altering the territorial scope of the existing aviation framework. While the vote highlighted divisions over how the EU should address the agreement’s practical implications, many lawmakers backed the protocol precisely because it maintains the status quo regarding Western Sahara.

According to the European Court of Justice, EU-Morocco agreements only apply within Morocco’s internationally recognized borders unless the people of Western Sahara consent. The Court ruled in 2018 that the aviation accord cannot be interpreted to cover Western Sahara, a stance the Commission has repeatedly affirmed. EU carriers have been notified that the agreement “does not apply to routes connecting any EU member state to Western Sahara.”

Despite this unambiguous legal position, several European airlines continue operating flights to airports in occupied Western Sahara. Ryanair, for instance, launched direct routes from EU cities to Dakhla, even though these services fall outside the EU-Morocco aviation framework. Beyond Ryanair, other carriers—including Transavia (a KLM-Air France subsidiary), Air Arabia (UAE), and Binter Airlines (Spain)—have also serviced the territory in recent years. Western Sahara Resource Watch reached out to KLM-Air France and Air Arabia for clarification but received no response.