Morocco-EU Bilateral Agreement to benefit Southern provinces in a "win-win" partnership

In its annual report published on Wednesday, December 22, the European Union (EU) said the population of the southern provinces of the Kingdom will benefit extensively from the association agreement concluded between Morocco and the EU.

The European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) have published this joint annual report as part of the implementation of the agreement in the form of an exchange of letters, amending Protocols 1 and 4 of the Morocco-EU Association Agreement. This agreement, which is known as the “Agriculture Agreement”, entered into force on July 19, 2019.

As the report details the multitude of benefits that this agreement provides to the southern inhabitants of the Kingdom, it adopts a positive tone only demonstrating the excellent and strong relationship between Morocco and the European Union, which has been characterized by trust and openness throughout its history.

Approximately forty pages of the annual report contain figures attesting to the socio-economic development of the southern provinces and their populations, mainly in the economic activity of agriculture, fishing, job creation, and investments.

This agreement between the two parties confirms the EU’s support for reforms and restructuring projects that Morocco initiated in these regions. This includes the desalination of seawater in Dakhla and the city’s wind park.

This document highlights Moroccan efforts and achievements in the protection of human rights, as reflected in the EU’s Annual Report on Human Rights And Democracy in the World, published this year. It also underscores the intensity of EU-Morocco cooperation in this area, citing the numerous projects implemented within the framework of the Joint Political Declaration, adopted in June 2019 by the Association Council.