Barcelona to host seminar on Morocco-EU relations

06/02/2007

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The European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMED) will hold a seminar -- "Morocco and the EU: Towards an advanced statute in the Euro-Mediterranean association" -- on March 1st and 2nd in Barcelona, IEMED announced Monday (February 5th). The event will aim to provide perspectives and views in line with the Spanish-Portuguese-French proposal of advanced statute for Morocco. Several experts, diplomats, politicians and representatives of civil society who work for better relations between Morocco and the EU will participate. Morocco has said it hopes to receive such a statute, which will provide to the country better commercial opportunities with Europe.

In related news, a new round of negotiations between the European Commission and Morocco on an agreement of association that was signed March 1st, 2000, and envisages the introduction of a free trade area by 2012, will kick off Tuesday in Rabat. The meeting continues the process of negotiations on agriculture and fisheries, which began in February 2006. (MAP, Le Matin)