VP/HR — Self-determination and statehood in Western Sahara
10.12.2014
Question for written answer E-010478-14
to the Commission (Vice-President/High Representative)
Rule 130
Fernando Maura Barandiarán (ALDE) , Afzal Khan (S&D) , Alyn Smith (Verts/ALE) , Anne-Marie Mineur (GUE/NGL) , António Marinho e Pinto (ALDE) , Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) , Charles Tannock (ECR) , Derek Vaughan (S&D) , Dimitrios Papadimoulis (GUE/NGL) , Ernest Urtasun (Verts/ALE) , Fabio De Masi (GUE/NGL) , Fabio Massimo Castaldo (EFDD) , Igor Šoltes (Verts/ALE) , Inês Cristina Zuber (GUE/NGL) , Ivo Vajgl (ALDE) , Izaskun Bilbao Barandica (ALDE) , Javier Couso Permuy (GUE/NGL) , Javier Nart (ALDE) , Jill Evans (Verts/ALE) , Jiří Pospíšil (PPE) , João Ferreira (GUE/NGL) , Jordi Sebastià (Verts/ALE) , Judith Sargentini (Verts/ALE) , Jytte Guteland (S&D) , Lola Sánchez Caldentey (GUE/NGL) , Luke Ming Flanagan (GUE/NGL) , Malin Björk (GUE/NGL) , Marina Albiol Guzmán (GUE/NGL) , Marisa Matias (GUE/NGL) , Merja Kyllönen (GUE/NGL) , Miguel Viegas (GUE/NGL) , Miroslav Poche (S&D) , Molly Scott Cato (Verts/ALE) , Neoklis Sylikiotis (GUE/NGL) , Pablo Echenique (GUE/NGL) , Pablo Iglesias (GUE/NGL) , Paloma López Bermejo (GUE/NGL) , Sofia Sakorafa (GUE/NGL) , Tania González Peñas (GUE/NGL) , Tanja Fajon (S&D) , Teresa Rodriguez-Rubio (GUE/NGL) , Theresa Griffin (S&D) , Viktor Uspaskich (ALDE) , Ángela Vallina (GUE/NGL) , Bodil Ceballos (Verts/ALE) , Piernicola Pedicini (EFDD) , Josu Juaristi Abaunz (GUE/NGL)
During her first visit to Gaza, Vice-President/High Representative Federica Mogherini said: ‘We need a Palestinian state; that is the ultimate goal and this is the position of all the European Union.’ She also announced major EU involvement in the Middle East.
Although Western Sahara and Palestine bear distinct political, historical and social attributes, their issues with self-determination and statehood are essentially similar: there is a body of international law and resolutions which clearly state that the occupying power should stop occupying and allow self-determination in the territories in question.
With this in mind, we would like to ask the following questions:
- 1.What is the position of the Vice-President/High Representative regarding the self-determination claim of the Sahrawi people?
- 2.Knowing that Morocco will not move without significant external pressure, will the Vice-President/High Representative take any action towards the recognition of Western Sahara as she is doing with the recognition of Palestine?