Brussels, 16/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - The EU and Morocco will resume their trade talks in Rabat from 20 to 24 January, the Moroccan press agency reports. This will be the third round of such talks aimed at concluding a deep and comprehensive free-trade agreement (DCFTA), covering regulations for traditional trade including services and investment and all other related areas (regulatory area, trade facilitation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, investment protection, public procurement and competition policy). The talks were opened in Rabat in April 2013 and a second round was held end June 2013 in Brussels.
This same kind of agreement is proposed to Tunisia, Jordan and Egypt. This offer to the countries of the region raises fears of not being able to compete with Europe and of weakening their economies.
In a concern for clarification, the EU delegation in Rabat circulated an external report in the media in January regarding the assessment made of the DCFTA's sustainable trade impact in Morocco. According to press extracts, the report shows that one of the consequences will be a 1.9% rise in the salaries of the most qualified Moroccan workers and a 1.6% rise in the earnings of non-qualified workers. Nearly 1.1% of the total work force should change sector of activity due to the change in production structures in the Moroccan economy. Nonetheless, the reallocation of jobs between sectors is expected to be difficult for a number of categories, particularly the most vulnerable, the authors of the report say, cited in the media. (FB/transl.jl)