Rabat – The European Parliament has voted on the agriculture agreement between Morocco and the European Union, passing it by a large majority. The agreement was voted on in a plenary session in Strasbourg today. The agreement received 444 votes in favor of the agriculture deal. The deal aims to extend the agriculture trade between Morocco and the EU partners. On January 14, the EU and Morocco signed the fisheries agreement, which includes the waters off of Morocco’s southern provinces. The EU decision to adopt the agreement is a further rebuttal of Polisario’s allegations that Morocco “exploits the natural resources” of the region. Last week, a group of Sahrawis urged the EU to adopt the agreements, saying they are beneficial for the development of the region. In a petition, the group of Sahrawis wrote: “Since our country completed its territorial integrity by recovering its southern provinces, it has made significant efforts towards their sustainable development. Noticeable progress made in our southern provinces as the result of our country’s efforts to make development, both at large and in our regions, our top priority.” The group said that Morocco’s commitment to the development of the region is “well established.” “The southern provinces are now ranked above the national average for human development indicators.”