Brussels, 20/07/2004 (Agence Europe) - Morocco and the European Commission have virtually finalised the "national action plan" conceived as part of the "neighbourhood" policy. Rabat will become the first partner country formally to subscribe to this new approach, by using a kind of political contract to seal its commitment to promote "common political values", and to come into line, as far as possible, with the "Community acquis" in economic matters (rules or standards of the European internal market). Rabat thus obtains confirmation that the EU will give their relations the "advanced status" the Moroccan authorities have long been calling for. Experts on both sides have put the final touches to the draft text, leaving one aspect open relative to the commitment not to produce or disseminate WMD (weapons of mass destruction), wording the EU intends to include in the body of all new agreements with third countries. However, a Moroccan source states that this is not due to any disagreement between Rabat and Brussels. In order to finalise the agreement, the European Commission needs the "green light" from the services of the High Representative Javier Solana, on a matter under his jurisdiction. It is worth noting that the first draft "national action plans", with Morocco and Tunisia, were suspended last March, as the European Commission had apparently not sufficiently consulted the CFSP services. The plan must then be put to the approval of the Council of Ministers of the EU.
Once Morocco has finalised its "national action plan", it will, very soon, be the turn of Tunisia, which has still a few points remaining to be clarified and then negotiated. The texts agreed upon in consultations with Morocco and Tunisia will not be the same, and a Community source pointed out that the one with Rabat contains stronger political commitments than the one with Tunis, which focuses more on economic efforts to be made. Another plan is close to being finalised, the one with Jordan, but consultations on this one are still underway. Contacts with Israel are underway, but it is impossible to predict how they will turn out. Israel has raised the issue of the political conditionality the partner countries will be subject to, stating that it cannot agree to be subjected to such constraints, according to a Community source.