Brussels, 13/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - In an interview published in the local press to mark “Europe Day”, the European ambassador in Rabat, Rupert Joy, announced that the EU and Morocco would be back at the negotiating table at the end of June to try to conclude a deep and comprehensive free-trade agreement (DCFTA).
The negotiators' first meeting took place immediately after the visit of the president of the European Commission, José Barroso, on 1 March last. This meeting allowed for a number of areas not yet covered by the current association agreement to be discussed. The ambassador indicated a number of the details: services and public procurement, and also how to improve investment protection and new commitments on competition and intellectual property rights, simplify customs procedures and reduce trade barriers arising from incompatible or superfluous industrial standards or food safety demands.
He added that this agreement would mark an important step towards the gradual integration of the Moroccan economy with the EU single market and a bringing trade requirements, industrial standards, technical regulation, plant and animal health safety measures in force in Morocco more in line with EU legislation. The EU is Morocco's biggest trading partner (it accounts for around 50% of all the country's trade and was worth more than €26 billion in 2012). The trade in services is worth €7 billion. The ambassador highlighted the figure of €29 billion in direct bilateral investment. He also stated that the “discussions are continuing” on the fisheries agreement so ardently sought by Spain but refused to provide any further details. He did say, however, that the chapter on “mobility” and immigration would be “one of the most difficult of the dossiers” of the negotiations. (FB/transl.fl)