On Thursday 27 June, the European Union and Morocco adopted a joint political declaration, which lays the foundations for long-term bilateral relations and will form the basis for political dialogue and cooperation in the future.
According to this declaration adopted at the 14th Association Council, the “Euro-Moroccan Partnership for Shared Prosperity” will be structured around four ‘areas’: convergence of values, economic convergence and social cohesion, shared knowledge and political dialogue and increased cooperation in security matters. In addition to these areas, there are two ‘horizontal axes’: cooperation on the environment and the fight against climate change and cooperation on mobility and migration.
See the statement: https://bit.ly/2KE4aNK
In the margins of the Association Council, the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, held talks with EUROPE (remarks collected by Camille-Cerise Gessant, with Damien Genicot)
Agence Europe – The EU and Morocco met in an Association Council, the first since December 2015. Why has there not been such a Council for more than 3 years?
Nasser Bourita – The relationship between Morocco and the EU was in a particular phase due to attacks on the partnership from those who were not satisfied with the evolution of the partnership.
For the past 3 years, we have worked to inoculate this partnership, to reject the shameful attacks of these parties and to build a vision. This period was also a good opportunity to reflect on the future of the partnership, which had arrived at a time of exhaustion.
The European Neighbourhood Policy had become almost a ceiling, at least for Morocco. So we have also used these 3 years to carry out this lucid, ambitious reflection and an opportunity to update our legal framework and reflect on the adaptation of our institutional framework.
And [Thursday] was the right time to relaunch the partnership, but also to proceed with its institutional and legal overhaul, through the four axes mentioned in the joint declaration.
Is this Association Council really a step forward in EU-Morocco relations?
Of course, it is a very important Council. First of all, through its conclusion, a joint declaration, which is unique in the relationship between Morocco and the EU and in the EU's relationship with its southern Mediterranean partners.
Secondly, through the content of this one, which reflects the discussion we had, it is a restructuring of the partnership around four axes and two central themes.
It is not just a semantic restructuring, but an area where we could deepen what already exists and look beyond it and optimise what is possible with the structures, frameworks and regulations of the European Union.
In the ‘knowledge’ area, a lot can be done to link the Moroccan university and research centres with those in Europe, so that Moroccan universities and researchers can benefit more from European calls for tenders, so that the very content of the programmes can be shared.
On the economy, there is a fundamental reflection. Should we stay in free trade? Or move towards more economic integration? Free trade makes it possible to develop trade, but economic integration makes it possible to attract more investment and more tourism. We want to move towards more integration than free trade.
With regard to the ‘stability’ area, there are also many things that can be done. We have a frequent dialogue, but it must give rise to joint initiatives, instead of remaining fair in the presentation of positions and the observation that we have converging positions. [...] What can we do together to address an issue or problem?
It is a Council that has acted to relaunch the partnership, but has also launched a redesign of the partnership for the coming years.
You were talking about free trade. The EU and Morocco have been negotiating a comprehensive and deep free trade area for several years. Is this still essential for you or should we move towards economic integration without necessarily having this free trade agreement?
It is necessary to take into account the evolution. This discussion began in 2009-2010. Since then, there have been many developments that need to be integrated.
Morocco, as of next week, will be part of an African free trade area and Europe has meanwhile signed many free trade agreements with Asian countries that have an impact on Morocco's comparative advantage.
In addition, the Association Agreement entered into force in 2000. Soon, this agreement will be 20 years old and it is time to evaluate it. What effect did it have? Has trade been fair or has it gone in one direction with an ever-increasing deficit to the detriment of Morocco?
Finally, Morocco has changed its economic strategies, its industrial strategies, and all this must be included in this assessment.
We do not deny what has been achieved so far, but we hope, as with the other aspects, that there will be an adaptation in light of developments to choose what would be best for our partnership.
One of the two horizontal work axes is mobility and migration. How do you cooperate with Europeans on this issue?
It is a long-standing subject of cooperation, because we have common borders. [...]
Indeed, there has been a transfer of migratory pressure from the East, first, through Greece, to the centre, through Italy and, more recently, to the West, through Spain, which has resulted in strong pressure on Morocco.
Morocco is against any attempt to concentrate pressure on transit countries and to ease pressure on countries of origin and destination. At the same time, as a responsible actor, it will not allow its borders and territory to be used for human trafficking or illicit trafficking.
Morocco is cooperating with the EU and we have had meetings on this subject. Beyond economic cooperation, because there is a peak or because migrants have changed their itinerary, we must think about a more structural, more long-term cooperation. If Europe considers that Morocco is its border, then it is necessary to develop long-term programmes and mobilise the necessary resources and visibility to plan something.
Concerning the impact of the question of Western Sahara on the two EU-Morocco agreements. The Court asked for the explicit consent of the population. How can you get this consent? What about these agreements today?
The agreements will enter into force very soon. For us, the question of the association of the population of the region with international agreements is a national matter [...]
Morocco has relied on representatives from local populations in the Sahara and other regions of the country to discuss the agreements and for representatives of the population, whether in regional councils, chambers of commerce or parliament, to express their position and agreement with regard to the legal instruments that have been signed.
In a democracy, representativeness is the result of an election, of legitimacy through the ballot box. When someone says, “I was elected by the people”, they were actually elected. When someone else comes and says, “I represent”, you have to ask yourself what is the basis of this representativeness.