Brussels, 26/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 25-26 September, the European Parliament's EPP Group organised two information days on EU-Morocco relations. The event was attended by a group of 17 members of the Moroccan parliament who engaged in an in-depth dialogue on the themes of political, economic and social relations - including the management of legal and illegal migratory flows. “The Europe-Morocco partnership is extremely important for the stability of the whole region”, said Joseph Daul, the leader of the EPP Group.
“Morocco is making progress, and we certainly see the change. I welcome the continued democratic reforms which Morocco carries out calmly, as well as the notable efforts on governance and human rights. This is why - for the first time in Europe - our group is organising a dialogue with Moroccan political forces, independently of their ideologies and ideas. We want to help them continue their ideal on the path to democracy”, Daul said during one of the sessions - only a part of which was open to the press.
The initiative is an exceptional event, designed to help Moroccan political forces better understand the ongoing issues in Brussels on the specific relationship with Morocco (advanced status, deepening of the trade framework, fisheries agreement, political dialogue on democratic reforms, the Maghreb, the Sahara and the African Sahel) and with the region in the current context of upheaval. The event is also intended to enable the members of the Moroccan parliament to defend the specificity of their country and the interest that this could represent for Europe. The short term objective is to facilitate the European Parliament's assessment of the fisheries agreement and for the members of the Moroccan parliament to explain the point of view ahead of the European Parliament's examination of a report on the Sahara by Charles Tannock (UK, ECR).
During the debates, which also enjoyed the participation of the new FEMIP/EIB director, Flavia Palanza, among others, the director general of the European External Action Service, Hugues Mingarelli, spoke of the duty of continuing the reforms. With regard to the specific mobility issue, he said that in return for visa facilitation, the EU wanted to sign a readmission agreement. (FB/transl.fl)