Brussels/Barcelona, 05/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - A seminar held in Barcelona on 2 and 3 March, under the aegis of the Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister, brought together officials from Morocco, Spain and other European Mediterranean countries in a meeting which was also attended by the Commissioner for External Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner. The Commissioner reiterated the commitment taken in Brussels to provide cooperation with Morocco with the sum of €654 million. The funding programme will be used to support the implementation of the action plan signed with Rabat. This budgetary allocation will be added to by such means as loans from the European Investment Bank (FEMIP, a fund which is managed by the EIB). Ms Ferrero-Waldner stated that this envelope represents an increase of nearly 20% on the annual average for the period 1995-2006.
From the Moroccan side of things, emphasis was laid instead on the creation of a specific relationship with the EU, which will distinguish them from their neighbours: an “advanced status”, which the kingdom has been calling for since its application, more than a decade ago, for accession to the European Community - an application which was turned down. “We support Morocco's aspiration” to closer relations with Europe, said French Minister for European Affairs, Catherine Colonna, who was also present at the seminar. The commissioner, who was similarly reassuring, is reported by their services to have declared that “Morocco is engaged in a very ambitious process of reform stemming from its own vision of modernisation and development. The benefits of reform in Morocco are already emerging: stronger growth, greater foreign direct investment and higher employment. But we are aware that reform is difficult and costly, and we fully appreciate the scope of the remaining challenges. For this reason, the EU will scale up its efforts to assist Morocco in its ongoing reform, and we intend to provide increased financial resources”. (fb)