Morocco and Spain are engaged in a maritime delimitation dispute off the coast of the Canary Islands, with overlapping claims in an area potentially rich in rare minerals such as tellurium, cobalt, nickel, and vanadium, according to reports from Spanish and Moroccan media.
The dispute centers on the seabed and subsoil rights in the Atlantic Ocean, where both countries have submitted claims to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS). Morocco's 2014 submission extends its continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles, overlapping with Spain's claims around the Canary Islands, which were partially submitted in 2009 and updated in 2014.
The area is of strategic interest due to the presence of polymetallic nodules and crusts containing rare earth elements critical for green technologies, such as tellurium used in solar panels and cobalt for batteries. However, no commercial mining has been confirmed in the disputed zone as of July 2026.
Diplomatic efforts have been ongoing, with Spain and Morocco holding bilateral talks in 2023 and 2024 to resolve the dispute, but no final agreement has been reached. The United Nations has encouraged both parties to negotiate a settlement in accordance with the Law of the Sea.
The dispute remains a point of tension in Spain-Morocco relations, though both countries have expressed willingness to find a mutually acceptable solution through dialogue.
