Rabat, 03/12/2007 (Agence Europe) - Morocco has reiterated its request for “advanced status” in its relations with the EU. During an Association Committee meeting on 30 November in Rabat (capital of Morocco) it was affirmed that “such a commitment comes from the strategic aim of promoting optimal proximity and building a strong, confident and multi-dimensional partnership”. This committee, set up under the terms of the agreement of March 2000 (signed in February 1996) for EU-Morocco bilateral relations examined (under the joint presidency of Toma Dupla del Moral, the director for external relations at the European Commission, and Lotfi Aouad, the director for European affairs at the Moroccan foreign ministry,) the implementation of concertation and work mechanisms set up last July. On this date, the Association Council (at a ministerial level in Brussels) formed an ad hoc group whose mission is to reflect on the “outline and physiognomy of the new contractual link to replace the current Association Agreement”. Morocco said that this committee will submit its conclusions during the next Morocco-EU Association Agreement under the French presidency of the EU in autumn 2008. Morocco has therefore reaffirmed its desire to distinguish itself through a specific relationship after having even toyed with the idea of joining the EC, an idea it was persuaded not to pursue. According to Mr Aouad, this is “constantly nurtured via a double dynamic of optimising what exists (the Association Agreement and the Neighbourhood Action Plan)” and developing a prospective vision…that goes beyond the current association”.
According to a Moroccan source, the committee also examined the economic results (progress in trade flows and direct European investment), the state of sectoral negotiations (particularly agriculture and trade in services), the Partnership Agreement for fishing and the memorandum of understanding for energy cooperation, which entered into force in March and July 2007 respectively. (F.B.)