Brussels, 14/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - The Moroccan daily, La Vie Economique, reports that a further attempt to reactivate the negotiation process between Morocco and the European Union on trade liberalisation, services and the right of establishment will be held end June. It recalls that these talks have been in stalemate for over a year and that Rabat plans to get them back on track.
An official from the Conseil national du commerce extérieur (CNCE), cited by the daily, states “we have everything to gain from the opening up of the European market”. He explains that 12 sectors are concerned, ranging from financial services to telecommunications and including transport, education, information technology, building, accounting and health. “For Moroccan companies, this represents a market of 500 million consumers. Opportunities are not lacking, as Moroccan professionals enjoy a sizeable advantage - they are competitive especially where price is concerned. Geographic proximity does the rest and makes it easy for Moroccan service providers to gain a foothold in the various EU countries”, he said.
“Unofficially, there are several points of discord blocking the process. Each party accuses the other of being too greedy and of not being willing to make concessions”, the official said, giving details of stumbling blocks including, as underlined by the media, the vital question of “movement of natural persons for temporary stays of a professional nature”. “Moroccans' request for the Community market to be opened to national service providers comes up against the European refusal to relax visa issuance procedures” without which the liberalisation of their activity would make no sense, but without speaking of the principle of reciprocity prevailing in this kind of convention, it is underlined at the CNCE. That is why Moroccans are adamant about this provision because, in their view, “it lies at the core of liberalisation of the trade in services”, a source familiar with the dossier states, cited by La Vie Economique. (F.B./transl.jl)