Strasbourg, 18/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - Two financing agreements which fall within the Neighbourhood Investment Facility will be signed with Morocco during the visit of Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner Stefan Füle to that country on 18-19 January. The first relates to the Ouarzazate Solar Power Plant and carries a total of €30 million in EU funding, and the second relates to the Drinking Water Efficiency Programme and is worth a total of €7 million in EU funding.
During his visit, Füle will discuss the reform process in Moroco and “a range of bilateral issues”, such as the agreement on liberalising trade in agricultural products that is pending at the European Parliament, and preparations for a new action plan of the “advanced status”. Preparation of negotiations on a “deep and comprehensive” free-trade area, the negotiations on liberalisation of trade in services, and the dialogue on a mobility partnership will also be on the agenda. “Progress on these issues will give substance to the 'advanced status' that Morocco” gained in 2008, the European Commission said.
“The relations between Morocco and the EU are an example of how reforms that are decided and implemented by the local authorities can be accompanied by EU solidarity. The path towards the consolidation of democracy and the rule of law, which also promotes sustainable and inclusive development, deserves full EU support”, Füle said before leaving, stating that Morocco is a key partner of the EU in the Mediterranean. The visit will also provide the opportunity to discuss the developments in the region following the Arab Spring. This is the first official visit of an EU official since the elections in Morocco in November and the appointment of the Abdelilah Benkirane government. (EH/transl.rt)