Editorial: El País

• Despite initial declarations of readiness, the two vehicles that intended to pass the customs between Spain and Morocco on Wednesday did not manage to do so.
• Spain's policy shift on Western Sahara in 2022 was followed by a promise to open these customs, but till date only the promise exists.
• Morocco has been working to reduce its economic interdependence with the Spanish autonomous cities through modernization and expansion of its ports.
• The Moroccan government seems less hopeful than Spain regarding the timeline of reopening.
• The difficulties to reopen the customs after more than two years of preparation and three pilot tests raise concerns about Morocco's intention.

Conclusion: Despite official statements, bureaucratic challenges and political tensions suggest that effective opening of the customs lies in Morocco’s hands, who should make more efforts to resolve existing issues in the near future.

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