Brussels, 13/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - The 9th session of the EU-Morocco Association Council, which was held in Brussels on Monday, closed with the expression of joint satisfaction on what has been achieved as regards the creation, over the last two years, of the “advanced status” awarded to this partner country, alongside an overall recommendation to step up efforts in its political reforms in particular and in economic liberalisation (services). During the day, negotiations were opened to develop a new action plan to replace the one due to expire at the end of the year. The new plan will be based more around the new objectives to step up the bilateral relationship. On the sidelines, three agreement-measures on access to the market for processed agricultural products and fishery products (seeing of article), Morocco's inclusion in Community programmes and, lastly, the creation of a dispute settlement mechanism were signed. Morocco and the EU also discussed regional and international political aspects and at the final press conference, Belgian Foreign Affairs Minister Steven Vanackere denied the impression that the EU is keeping its distance from the conflict in the Sahara. “We have chosen the path of wisdom, that of recourse to the UN”, he said, backed up in this by the words of his Moroccan counterpart, Taïeb Fassi el Fihri. The EU reiterated its interest in the regional integration of the Maghreb, to which it is “particularly committed", because “the countries in this region face common challenges in many areas” which call for extra “efficacy and coherence”. The EU reaffirms its “full support for the Maghreb integration project, which it is prepared to support with the resources available to it”. It also reiterates its support in the framework of the “5+5” dialogue between the countries of the Western Mediterranean, five European countries and the three “central” Maghreb countries, plus Libya and Mauritania.
At the beginning of the conference, Vanackere stressed the “fundamental” role of Morocco which, according to the EU27, “continues to set itself apart with its vision and commitment within the European neighbourhood policy and also within the Union for the Mediterranean”. Stressing the country's commitment to this path, Fassi Fihri, Moroccan Foreign Minister, nevertheless has no intention of getting involved in a European situation which could be seen as a “fog” that could reduce visibility (both of the neighbourhood policy currently being redefined, and of a Euro-Mediterranean policy with institutional outlines which have not been clarified).
The EU welcomes the “strategic choice” which Morocco made in October 2008 when it signed an agreement for an “advanced status”. Its capacity to resist the global crisis and efforts to anchor itself on the European economy were stressed.
The EU “reiterated the importance it attaches to the implementation of the ambitious roadmap for the progressive and sustained development of bilateral relations, (which) represent a genuine qualitative change and a model in the region”. Two years later, however, the EU takes the view that “necessary substantial progress is expected in the negotiations underway on the liberalisation of trade in services, in order to move to the next stage, which is the launch of negotiations on a global and in-depth free-trade agreement. Similarly, a conclusion of the negotiations on the readmission agreement would allow us to start dialogue on migration and visa facilitation”. Morocco, which has committed to several European joint programmes and policies, is called upon to include a “permanent agreement on security of classified information”. The EU also declared the “great importance” it places on cooperation with Morocco in “the fight against terrorism, which it is prepared to develop and strengthen”, and it also considers that “North Africa represents a priority area in the fight against terrorism and radicalisation”. At a political level, the EU takes note of progress announced in terms of human rights, freedom of association and press freedom -Rabat has pledged that no “custodial sentences” will be applied to journalists - and also in the field of independence for the justice system, etc. The EU calls for the full application of the commitments made by Rabat. It also calls for protection for “human rights campaigners, particularly in the territory of the Western Sahara”.