Spain has a number of undelimited maritime boundaries with its neighboring States, including the States mentioned above, as well as Morocco and Algeria. The Morocco–Spain border consists of three non-contiguous lines totalling 18.5 km (11.5 m) around the Spanish territories of Ceuta (8 km), Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera (75 metres) and Melilla (10.5 km). These three exclaves form part of Spain's plazas de soberanía, which also includes a number of small islands off the Moroccan coast. Morocco does not recognize Spain's claim to several Spanish enclaves on the Mediterranean coast of Africa, principally Ceuta and Melilla. Morocco claims Western Sahara and, since 1979, has administered the territory as its own, although the International Court of Justice ruled in 1975 that Morocco has no legitimate claim to Western Sahara. Having explored Spain's position on the drawing of an equidistance line, we now need to consider Morocco's understanding before addressing the State practice of these two countries. Morocco disagrees with the equidistance line, largely arguing that ‘the respective configuration of the Moroccan coasts lying opposite the coasts of the Canary Islands, constitutes a relevant circumstance of the geographic type established in Morocco's legislation that allows Morocco to refuse the application of the equidistance method. Morocco and Spain also share a maritime border in the Canary Islands area and along the Strait of Gibraltar and the Alboran Sea. The shortest distance between land along the Strait of Gibraltar is 14.3 kilometres (8.9 mi; 7.7 nmi). The British territory of Gibraltar (claimed by Spain) is located on the northern coast of this strait. The pending maritime delimitations between Spain and Morocco are highly complex and noteworthy due to the existence of diverse factors, namely the particularity that the delimitations shall be conducted in two different seas: the Alboran Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Moreover, various sovereignty issues must be addressed, such as the Spanish enclaves in North Africa, which are claimed by Morocco generating maritime entitlements, and the Western Sahara dispute and Morocco's intention to include the Western Sahara maritime areas under its jurisdiction. In terms of the latter issue, this article studies the fisheries agreements concluded between the European Union and Morocco and the recent decisions given by the Court of Justice of the European Union, declaring those agreements prohibited under international law in respect of Western Sahara waters. Other significant matters analyzed are the views of both countries, the existence of several overlapping maritime claims with third States and the negotiations that have been carried out thus far to reach an agreement delimiting the maritime boundaries. On this subject, it is crucial to determine whether a tacit agreement exists – on the basis of the hydrocarbon activities licensed by Spain and Morocco – establishing the maritime boundary between the Canary Islands and Morocco's Atlantic coast. The maritime delimitation between Spain and Morocco in the Alboran Sea is particularly complex due to the existence of Morocco's sovereignty claims over five Spanish territories in North Africa. Moreover, both States have argued for…
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