Brussels, 31/07/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 30 July the European Commission adopted its 2012 action programme for Morocco with a budget of €112 million. The programme aims to support the Moroccan government reforms on the management of finance and public administration, and also to help the policy on forest management and protection.
The “Hakama” (governance) programme, under which aid will be made available for reforming the management of finance and public administration, will receive €75 million. It will enable the efforts for a more effective and fairer use of public finance to continue. The programme will also help strengthen the performance and transparency of public spending management, particularly through the implementation of the law on financing, which should be adopted before the end of 2012. Hakama will additionally support improvement in the quality of public services.
The European support for forest policy - €37 million - will help Morocco in the fight against the degradation of its forestry heritage and will support improvement in the income and living conditions of people who live there. The programme will contribute, amongst other things, to improving the conservation and development of the existing forestry heritage. It will also facilitate increased participation of the local people in decisions on their place of abode, and favour products from a sustainable exploitation of the forest.
European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Fule commented that these new allocations of aid perfectly reflect the priorities of the partnership between the EU and Morocco in the new neighbourhood policy - public action which is more efficient and accessible to Moroccan citizens, and development of the Moroccan regions with a balanced use of natural resources from the country. (CG/transl.fl)