Relations between the EU and Morocco

Moroccan Colloque in European Parliament, Brussels

21 October 1999

I am delighted at this opportunity to participate in the bilateral dialogue on "A Common Destiny for Europe and Morocco". I do hope you have found this an interesting, stimulating and fruitful debate.

This is the first time I take part in an event on the Mediterranean region since I took office as Commissioner for External Relations four weeks ago. I am glad this is taking place in the European Parliament. I hope this is a sign not only of the importance of the Mediterranean for both the European Commission and the European Parliament, but also of our mutual commitment to cooperate closely in the Mediterranean region.

You have chosen an opportune moment for this dialogue. It would be hard to say that the relations between the EU and Morocco are now better than ever, since our relations have, with very few exceptions, always been excellent. The European Union has consistently supported the process of modernisation and institutional reform initiated by His Majesty Hassan II, to whom I would like to pay public tribute. Morocco needs to persevere now in these modernisation efforts. The European Commission and myself personally are sincerely committed to supporting his Majesty Mohamed VI and Prime Minister Youssoufi in this task.

Precisely because of the closeness of our relations, this is a good time to review our economic and political ties and take them a step further. We face a time of challenges: reinforcing our relations and refocusing them on the right priorities, whether bilaterally or in the context of the Barcelona conference process.

There are two crucial landmarks on the near horizon: firstly, the entry into force of the Association Agreement which envisages for the first time the progressive establishment of a free trade zone between the EU and Morocco; and secondly, and equally important, the still limited but encouraging progress in the Middle East Peace Process which heralds a new period of political stability within the Barcelona Conference Process. There are no external impediments any longer for advancing further along the road of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership.

These two landmarks provide a natural momentum for advancing in our relations, whether trade, cooperation, or political dialogue:

As far as trade is concerned, the Association Agreement already sets the basis for the progressive opening of our markets for goods, capital and services. But the Barcelona Conference envisages going considerably further: a Mediterranean free trade area by 2010. This date is not too far away and a lot is still to be done. On the one hand, a more proactive debate is needed on issues which have so far been left in the shadows, notably a debate on the cumulation of rules of origin. Certainly, a Mediterranean free trade zone will not be possible without the concept of "Mediterranean" products, or at least, in a first stage, Maghreb and Machrek products. The debate on cumulative rules of origin is to be supplemented by the encouragement of regional trade between Mediterranean countries and the creation of sub-regional free trade zones in the Magreh and the Machreck. Morocco has a privileged political and economic position and it is therefore ideally suited to develop close trade ties with other countries in the Maghreb region.

Our trade relationship has so far been somewhat limited to liberalisation in our respective markets. Market liberalisation makes little sense in the absence of appropriate supporting regulation. A certain coordination of our rules and legislation may be needed to underpin the creation of the free trade area. As you know, we have considerable experience in this respect. This is one of the most difficult, but most rewarding processes. Given the closeness of our relations, we should give serious consideration to exploring the possibilities for mutual recognition agreements and the coordination of existing legislation and rules. This would provide the best environment for the free circulation of goods and services to the benefit to us all.

On cooperation, the EC is making contributions not only directly to the government but also to the private sector and civil society. The EU’s cooperation policy is not meant to satisfy all investment needs in the Moroccan economy. We would not have the resources to do so, nor should we. But we do have a responsibility to improve the efficiency and speed of our cooperation policy. I am happy to inform you of the adoption by the Commission only yesterday of a proposal for the review of the MEDA regulation (the so-called MEDA II). It simplifies cooperation procedures and it refocuses cooperation policy more closely on the implementation of the Association Agreements. This proposal, I hope, will put us on the right track to further develop our close relations. As such, it is a step in the right direction, although I am perfectly aware that further measures will be necessary. I am determined to introduce further improvements: I can already announce that the Commission is currently working on harmonised tendering procedures and it will also soon issue effective guidelines for the implementation of MEDA.

Nonetheless, these procedural simplifications would be of little use if they were not accompanied by the proper development of priorities in our cooperation policy. We should continue working together towards defining a few priority objectives, whether they be education, development of SMEs, judicial and police cooperation or any other jointly agreed objective. Cooperation projects dispersed over an excessive number of areas are to nobody’s benefit.

Last but not least, there is a clear opportunity to strengthen our political dialogue. The Barcelona process is reaching a historical moment. It needs to be deepened but also reshaped to be adapted to the particular characteristics and contrasts between the different sub-regions concerned. A deeper political dialogue on issues such as drug trafficking, migration and corruption could bring considerable benefits for citizens in the European Union and Maghreb regions. Our geographical proximity and the depth of our relations demand a continued modernisation and reshaping of the Barcelona process so that our historical ties remain relevant to our shared future.

In this light, perhaps it is time to think about developing deeper subregional integration under the overall umbrella of the Barcelona conference. Given the wide diversity in the relations between the different countries concerned, we should not be reluctant to tailor our relationship to the specific needs that countries in the various sub-regions confront together. Morocco definitely is in the ideal geographical, economic and political position to assume a substantial role in this overall reconsideration of the Barcelona process. I am confident we could work hand in hand, together with all other countries involved, towards this challenging objective.