The European Commission said Presidents von der Leyen and Costa deeply regret the Libyan Parliament’s ratification of the memorandum of understanding between Libya and Turkiye on delimitation of maritime jurisdictions in the Mediterranean Sea. The statement said the agreement infringes the sovereign rights of third states, does not comply with the law of the sea and is null and void, and that the European Council’s 2019 position remains unchanged. It reaffirmed solidarity with Greece and Cyprus and repeated the EU position against outside interference in Libya.
EU calls Libya-Turkiye maritime deal null and void
The European Union said it deeply regrets the Libyan Parliament's ratification of the Libya-Turkiye memorandum on maritime jurisdiction in the Mediterranean, calling the agreement null and void in a joint statement by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa.
Why it matters: The memorandum is the legal basis Turkiye and the Tripoli authorities have used to claim exploration rights in waters Greece and Cyprus also claim, so a ratified text hardens the eastern Mediterranean delimitation dispute that has repeatedly put drilling and naval deployments on a collision course.
Data as of Joint statement STATEMENT/26/2221 of October 19, 2026, read in full on the European Commission press corner. The statement is the primary document for the EU position; the ratification itself is reported by the statement, and no independent corroboration of the Libyan Parliament's vote was read in this pass. Developing item.
Sources
- Joint statement by Presidents von der Leyen and Costa - European Commission - 2026-10-19