Controversy erupts over legal revisions to Morocco's National Agency for Water and Forests

Tensions are mounting within Morocco’s National Agency for Water and Forests following recent legal amendments passed by the government and Parliament that employees say undermine their rights and threaten their civil service status.

The controversy centers on the government’s approval of Draft Decree-Law No. 2.25.302, which modifies Law No. 52.20, the foundational legislation that created the Agency.

The amendments, passed by the Council of Government last Thursday and approved by both parliamentary chambers the next day, sparked backlash among employees, many of whom view the reforms as “forced integration” into a new system that strips them of their acquired civil service rights.

In a statement, the Association of Graduates of the National Forestry Engineering School expressed “deep concern and astonishment” over the legal changes, which it argues “fundamentally alter the legal and social status of forestry staff affiliated with the Agency.”

The association condemned the move as unbalanced and unfair, noting that nearly 2,000 employees (54%) oppose the integration, preferring to retain their status as public servants with the option to renew secondment to their original ministry—the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water, and Forests.

The association warns the decree effectively revokes the automatic renewal of secondment, which it says contradicts the General Civil Service Statute and undermines legal stability for workers. It also criticizes the rushed adoption of the changes, which come nearly a year before the current legal deadline of April 5, 2025, and lack sufficient guarantees for safeguarding existing employee rights.

Critics also say the decree’s language—referring to staff as “users” or “human resources” instead of “civil servants”—erodes the public administrative identity of employees.

They call for a return to civil service terminology and demand the preservation of civil servant protections under existing laws and regulations, including Decree No. 2.93.844, which outlines the employment framework for technical and scientific personnel in forestry.

The Association urged the government to:

• Cancel the mandatory integration clause

• Allow a three-year renewable and optional secondment period

• Open urgent dialogue with relevant ministries and social partners to develop a fair and lasting solution

• Ensure employees can retain their public servant status

Parliamentary opposition also voiced frustration over the government’s haste in pushing the decree, accusing it of bypassing standard legislative timelines by avoiding the upcoming spring session set to begin in less than a week.

The Haraki Group in the House of Representatives warned that the second paragraph of Article 18, in its current form, violates civil service law by revoking automatic secondment renewals. They insisted on using the term “civil servant”to reflect the employees’ true administrative status.

The Justice and Development Party (PJD) echoed these concerns, arguing that the new decree forces integration on forestry employees who previously had the option to join the Agency voluntarily. The party called for voluntary integration, the preservation of the right to renew secondment, and a review of the Agency’s staff statute to guarantee long-term professional security.

Members of the upper house have also raised objections, aligning with the growing employee movement calling for the government to rethink its approach and engage in meaningful dialogue before implementing reforms that could reshape Morocco’s public administration landscape.