Morocco obstructs the opening of customs in Ceuta and Melilla

Eduardo González The opening of the customs of Ceuta and Melilla, which took place this Wednesday after two and a half years of negotiations and within the framework of the roadmap established by Spain and Morocco in April 2022, has come to practically nothing due to the conditions imposed by the Moroccan authorities. Two vehicles loaded with products from Spain crossed the borders of Ceuta and Melilla on Wednesday heading for Morocco. In the case of Ceuta, this is the first commercial customs in its history, and in the case of Melilla, it is the first passage of goods through customs since Rabat's decision to unilaterally close it in August 2018. However, according to sources close to the operation reported to the newspaper 'El País', the two vehicles - a van loaded with household goods and small appliances in Melilla and a truck loaded with cleaning products in Ceuta - were returned to Spain by the Moroccan authorities due to alleged "technical problems". In the case of Melilla, the Quiles company initially tried to introduce a van, but the Moroccan authorities refused to allow this type of vehicle to pass, alleging problems with the sealing of the doors, according to 'El Faro de Melilla'. Therefore, it was decided to send a truck that complied with Moroccan guidelines, but it was not allowed to enter Morocco either, despite the fact that both Spanish customs and the Government Delegation had authorized the operation. In the case of Ceuta, although the truck was initially allowed to pass, it was ultimately also rejected for “technical reasons,” according to ‘El Faro de Ceuta’. The Government Delegation of both autonomous cities has not yet made a statement, nor has the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Last week, ‘El País’ reported that Spain and Morocco were, after more than two years and eight months of talks, in the final stretch of negotiations for the opening of the two customs posts, provided for by the roadmap agreed in April 2022 during President Pedro Sánchez’s visit to Rabat and after the surprising decision of Pedro Sánchez’s Government to recognize the Moroccan autonomy plan for Western Sahara, which marked a reversal of Spain’s traditional position on this issue and opened a new period in bilateral relations. The government sources cited by the newspaper assured that the agreement provides for a limited transit of goods, with only one truck per day in each direction at each customs post, at specific times. According to sources, Spain will only be able to export certain goods, such as hygiene and cleaning products, household appliances and electronics manufactured in the autonomous cities, while Morocco will be able to transport all types of fresh products, such as aggregates, fruit, vegetables and fish, without the need for health controls. For Ceuta, this is the first commercial customs in its history. In the case of Melilla, these are restrictions much greater than those in force before the closure in 2018. According to sources close to the matter who spoke to the newspaper ‘La Razón’, Morocco has warned that it will not allow the opening of the commercial customs posts in Ceuta and Melilla until there is an express declaration from Spain officially defending the “Moroccan character” of Western Sahara. In fact, several Moroccan media outlets on Thursday welcomed the restrictions imposed by its government to accept the opening of the two customs posts, considering them a step in “Moroccan sovereignty over the Ceuta and Melilla prisons”. “By imposing these conditions, Morocco seeks to affirm its sovereign vision over the two occupied cities, Melilla and Ceuta, as it guarantees that commercial transactions remain under its full supervision and in line with its national interests,” writes the Tangier-based newspaper Tanja24, quoted by ‘El Independiente’. For its part, the official newspaper ‘Hespress’ warns that the conditions imposed by Morocco “will not please the merchants of the two prisons, who dumped tons of products a year into Morocco without paying taxes”. For the moment, the PP requested last Friday the convening of the Permanent Commission of the Congress of Deputies to try to force the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, to explain in Parliament the “conditions imposed” by Morocco for the reopening of the commercial customs of Melilla. For his part, the president of the Autonomous City of Melilla, Juan José Imbroda (of the PP), has warned that the reopening of the commercial customs with the conditions “imposed” by Rabat implies a “loss of economic and political sovereignty” and that Melilla runs the risk of being treated as if it were a Moroccan city.

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