EU to increase co-operation with Morocco
2009-03-04
Despite the global financial crisis, the European Union plans to step up its involvement in Morocco's structural reforms.
By Hassan Benmehdi and Naoufel Cherkaoui for Magharebia in Casablanca – 04/03/09
 [Hassan Benmehdi] Bruno Dethomas of the European Commission (centre) outlined EU plans for Moroccan development at the Casablanca conference. |
Bilateral relations between Morocco and Europe are shaping up well, despite the troubled economic situation. Within the space of just four years, Morocco has received a total of 4 billion dirhams in European subsidies, said participants at a conference on EU-Moroccan relations held on Monday (February 2nd) in Casablanca.
In 2009, the EU plans to play a larger role in sector-specific support programmes aimed at reforming health care, boosting investment and exports, implementing an education strategy, cleaning up Morocco's water supply and curbing pollution.
"This is a reflection of the EU's plan to support Moroccan development and boost co-operation between Morocco and the EU. These efforts will benefit both parties," said the European Commission's ambassador in Rabat, Bruno Dethomas.
Over 2.5 billion dirhams were spent and 120 programmes adopted in 2008. The money invested helped to finance a number of projects in areas as diverse as energy, roads in rural areas, public administration, basic health care and literacy.
The past year was particularly important for EU-Moroccan relations.
"Last year saw the adoption, on October 13th, of the joint document on Advanced Status, which lays down an ambitious road map for political, economic and social co-operation. For the first time there is now a clear goal of achieving convergence with the acquis communautaire [body of EU laws and regulations] and greater involvement of civil society," Dethomas told journalists in Casablanca on Tuesday (February 24th).
"The EU is planning on offering 317 million Euros worth of support," added Dethomas.
Of that total, 86 million would go to the health sector, 93 million to education, 50 million to water and sanitation, 8 million to the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission of Equity and Reconciliation, 60 million to supporting investment and exports, and 20 million to supporting the partnership programme with the EU.
In addition, the European Commission's Chief of Operations in Rabat, Mario Mariani, announced that 115 million Euros would be granted to Morocco in the 2010 fiscal year. This sum would be allocated to the agriculture sector (40 million), improved access for remote areas (25 million), judicial reform (20 million) and vocational training (30 million).
Commenting on the advanced status awarded by the EU, Dethomas said, "That status will open new horizons before Morocco within the framework of its partnership with the EU."
"This privileged status allows Morocco to make use of diverse advantages… to participate in several EU commissions… Though this advanced status has no additional legal weight, it places Morocco at a higher ranking than other member states in the EU neighbourhood policy, such as Egypt, Israel, Ukraine and Georgia," remarked Rachid Badaoui, economics professor and Euromed expert at Mohammed V University.
"The aim of the Advanced Status is to integrate Morocco into the European economic area, but this will require harmonisation of national legislation to bring it into line with European standards, particularly in the areas of safety, hygiene and quality," noted Jawad Kardoudi, president of the Moroccan Institute of International Relations, in a statement to Magharebia.
"[T]his significant overview of the 2008 Moroccan-EU relations reaffirms the strategic location that Morocco occupies in the Euromed partnership," Badaoui said.
"The objective is to build solid relations between them, in order to support stability and welfare in the Euromed region," he added. "As for next year, the EU has to exert efforts to activate the Arab Maghreb Union, especially knowing that this regional bloc will play a key role in realising stability, peace and economic welfare for Maghreb countries and nations."
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jalal nali Posted 2009-03-05
this is just the bigining, once Morocco with integrate fully the economic European space, will give the oportunity to Europe to access to Africa, and Morocco in the next two year will be undoubtly the top african country with his advanced development in all fields. Mauritania and algeria as bordring countries will benifit from this situation and spreed this democratisation, freedom and developpment wind.
Germelou Kawkaw Posted 2009-03-05
Receiving aid in this fashion by a country like Morocco is a disgrace. Morocco is one of the few countries in the world where decision makers and other view getting aid funds from the EU and others as a major success. If anything it is a sign of a continued failure to take acre of basic functions internally rationally using its own resources. There is no such thing as a free lunch. For Europe to really help Morocco it needs to control racist and extremist impulses in countries such as Spain, Netherlands and others that keep Moroccan products, services and labor off the European market. The UE should widely open its doors to Morocco as oposed to living hostage to a mafia of Spanish farmers and fishermen and their facist supporters; That's real aid if you ask me
Acharif moulay abdellah bouskraoui Posted 2009-03-05
The EU is a great friend and ally and Morocco aims to reinforce its relationship with the EU, the United States and the Arab countries. We are a country that is open to all good initiatives and to international co-operation among friendly countries in the fields of economics, industry, culture and so on. We are a great state. What interests us is the good of our countries and humanity. Under the aegis of our august king His Majesty Mohamed VI, Morocco has become a country of great renown in terms of democracy and stability. This is something that will surely encourage big businesses to come invest in our country. –Signed, Acharif, Moulay Abdellah Bouskraoui
قريجيج بن علي Posted 2009-03-08
Maghreb European partnership, a reality or imagination. In spite of the financial aid offered to the group of Maghreb states (Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria) in the shape of aids offered by Meda I, Meda II programmes or even loans offered by the European Investment Bank, the real objective of the European position is still not understandable by most Maghreb economists. Their negative vision of the issue which is applauded by politicians who pay no attention to the real loss resulting from the total or partial cancellation of customs tariffs.
BEN Posted 2009-03-11
I think that the global financial crisis did not teach the EU anything. They persist in and remain avowed to their philosophy of action, which is aggravated by the renouncement of their independence in the terms of defence. We remember the wild goose chase that was NATO’s intervention in northern Morocco. As for the accord with the UE, that is hilarious! It would seem that the technocrats sent from the beautiful, luxury hotels have not managed to find negotiators who are up to correcting a certain number of things unworthy for a Europe that has not ceased to proclaim its “values”. They are dead set on a strategy for the impoverishment of the Third World, and the Chinese have truly understood this.
نور Posted 2009-03-16
I honestly did not like much the access of Morocco to the Union, but I don't know. A Syrian.
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