Spain Monitors Morocco’s Oil Exploration Near Canary Islands, Citing National Interests

"We are closely following any activity that could affect Spain’s interests in waters under its sovereignty or jurisdiction," Spanish diplomatic sources told Europa Press, reacting to Morocco’s announcement of reactivating oil exploration in Tarfaya, off Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. The same sources add that "the government is firm in defending Spain’s interests and faithful to its positions on the delimitation of maritime spaces in accordance with international law."

The secretary general of the Canarian-PNC Coalition, Fernando Clavijo, said on Monday that neither Pedro Sanchez nor the president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, "will lift a finger" to prevent this oil exploration by Morocco near Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. The Nueva Canarias (NC) deputy in Congress, Pedro Quevedo, for his part demanded that Sanchez immediately start negotiations with Morocco on the delimitation of the territorial waters of the two countries with the participation of the Canary Islands.

To read: Morocco’s Oil Exploration Plans Near Canary Islands Spark Concern

In the joint declaration that sealed Sanchez’s meeting with King Mohammed VI in Rabat on April 7, it was agreed to reactivate the "working group on the delimitation of maritime spaces on the Atlantic coast with the aim of making concrete progress." A "very good news" for the Canary Islands, Sanchez had stressed, specifying that this will be an opportunity to "hold good faith discussions within the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea."

In early 2020, Morocco had adopted two laws to delimit its territorial waters up to 12 miles and the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 200 miles from its coasts. This delimitation encroached on Spanish territorial waters in the Canary Islands. The two governments had agreed to resolve the issue by mutual agreement and in accordance with international law in this area.