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Spain invited to explain the authorization to let the Key Bay continue its route
On Jan 18, 2017, Spanish officials asked their government to explain the decision by the authorities to authorize the"Key Bay", carrying a cargo of fish oil which was loaded at Laayoune in the occupied Western Sahara, to continue the route to France after a stopover on Jan 14 at the port of Las Palmas. In a letter to the Spanish Foreign and Finance Ministers, Florent Marcellesi, Jorge Luis Bail and Maria del Pilar Alvarez Leon, urged the Spanish government to justify and to clarify the legal basis for the decision of the Spanish authorities to allow the ship to leave the port of Las Palmas despite their knowledge of the cargo situation and the arrest of the Court of Justice. According to the officials, the fish oil, loaded at Laayoune in Western Sahara on Jan 7, is expected in Fécamp around Jan 20 after a stop on Jan 14 at the port of Las Palmas. The "Key Bay" was checked during the fuel stop by the Guardia Civil which inspected the documents allowing the transport of the cargo of fish oil. After verification, the Spanish authorities have found that the authorizations were issued by the Moroccan occupation authorities, which was a violation of international law, as such products can only enter the European market if they are accompanied by certificates of origin and health guarantees drawn up by the administration of the state of origin. Despite the violation of established international law, the Spanish customs authorities preferred to let the ship continue on the pretext that it was not destined for Las Palmas, but it was just in transit. In this respect, the Spanish representatives questioned the government on the legitimacy and validity of the documents and certificates issued by the Moroccan authorities in the territory of Western Sahara. They also asked whether the government was able to affirm that the Polisario Front authorized the exports of Western Sahara to Spain and the European Union. They also urged the Spanish Government to ensure that the competent authorities did not allow the landing of products which were not guaranteed by valid certificates of origin in accordance with European law. The Polisario Front has announced that it will formally lodge a complaint with the European and French authorities to denounce the illegal embarkation of fish oil by the "Key Bay" in Laayoune.
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