European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed the European Union’s deep regret over the Libyan House of Representatives’ ratification of the maritime memorandum of understanding signed between Libya and Turkey in 2019.
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She confirmed that the European bloc's position on the agreement remains unchanged, stressing the Union's solidarity with Greece and Cyprus.
Von der Leyen stated that the European Union deeply regrets the Libyan parliament's ratification of the memorandum of understanding concerning the delimitation of maritime jurisdictions in the Mediterranean Sea. She asserted that the agreement violates the sovereign rights of third countries, is inconsistent with the Law of the Sea, and described it as "null and void." This reflects
the EU's position.
The President of the European Commission added that the EU’s position on the agreement had already been clearly expressed by the European Council in 2019, stressing that it remains unchanged, in reference to Brussels’ objection to the legal implications of the agreement on the rights of other countries in the Mediterranean.
Von der Leyen reiterated the European Union's solidarity with Greece and Cyprus, and affirmed the bloc's commitment to its position rejecting any external interference in Libya, in light of the ongoing regional disputes over the demarcation of maritime borders and the determination of areas of jurisdiction in the eastern Mediterranean.
Adoption of the Maritime Memorandum of Understanding
The European position came after the Libyan House of Representatives voted unanimously during a session held on Tuesday to adopt the maritime memorandum of understanding signed between the previous Government of National Accord and Turkey . The House also voted to cancel its two resolutions issued in 2020, in which it refused to ratify the two memoranda of understanding with Ankara and called for cutting political relations with it.
Libya and Turkey signed a maritime memorandum of understanding on November 27, 2019, relating to the determination of maritime jurisdiction areas between the two countries in the Mediterranean Sea, including the limits of the continental shelf and the exclusive economic zone, according to specific geographical coordinates.
Since its signing, the agreement has sparked objections from Greece and Cyprus, along with other regional parties, due to the dispute over maritime border demarcation and overlapping claims related to economic zones and sovereign rights in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Libyan House of Representatives' ratification of the memorandum reopens the file of legal and political disputes surrounding it, amid differing positions between Turkey, which welcomed the decision, and Greece and the European Union, which reiterated their rejection of the agreement. Meanwhile, the repercussions of this step on Libyan-European relations and regional balances remain linked to future political and diplomatic developments.