Brussels, 22/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - EU-Morocco trade negotiations (in-depth agreement, ALECA, see EUROPE 11001) kicked off in Rabat this week and observers note that this third round has the specific feature of directly involving economic operators. This, according to an editorial in a leading Moroccan economic newspaper, L'économiste, is explained by the fact that “these new negotiations will shake up a number of practices in Morocco. And in these practices, it's not just accursed monopolies and unwarranted earnings”.
Whilst stressing a desire to build equally strong relations with the EU, a rich neighbour and a large consumer, the newspaper however notes reservations: the approval “does not mean not being able to have differing opinions and options”. It states that “the business world was shocked to discover that Rabat is not putting forward a preliminary study whilst the EU is filling up the media space with its own data”. In addition, “the government has had to change so that the CGEM (Ed: Confederation of Moroccan Businesses) is brought back into the issue".
L'économiste argues that “equal treatment on the public procurement markets, the right of establishment, the need to modernise the framework of protected professions (doctors, lawyers, architects, accountants, etc), not counting the disarmament of sensitive agricultural products or the inter-penetration of insurance companies and banks” will mean that Moroccans, businesses and state authorities alike, will have to do change their “practices”, without clarifying further. (FB/transl.fl)