The European Union reaffirmed, in its 2023 report, the constructive socio-economic impression of the agricultural settlement with Morocco, and the total good thing about the settlement’s provisions for the inhabitants of the dominion’s southern provinces.
The publication of this annual report by the European Fee and the European Exterior Motion Service (EEAS) comes on the heels of the setback inflicted by the Advocate Common on the European Courtroom of Justice, who stripped the “polisario” of all representativeness and reaffirmed the relevance of the agricultural settlement between Rabat and Brussels.
The report, which is a part of the implementation of the settlement within the type of an trade of letters, amending Protocols 1 and 4 of the Morocco-EU Affiliation Settlement, which got here into drive on July 19, 2019, generally referred to as the “Agricultural Settlement”, continues, as in earlier years, its constructive tone, detailing level by level the various features of the advantages introduced by this settlement to the inhabitants of the Kingdom’s southern provinces.
Doubly related, the report displays, on the one hand, the standard of the Partnership between Morocco and the European Union, and bears witness to the passable implementation of the Agricultural Settlement, thanks particularly to the prevailing instruments for dialogue and data trade between the 2 events.
However, and for the fifth time in a row, the report deconstructs the propaganda fueled by Algeria and the separatists in an try to name the legality of the agreements between Morocco and the EU into query.
Backed by figures, the doc confirms the constructive impression of this Settlement on the socio-economic improvement of the Moroccan Sahara areas, when it comes to financial development, manufacturing and export of agricultural and fisheries merchandise, job creation and funding.
In reality, the report particulars, in 2022, 203,000 tonnes of merchandise originating from the dominion’s southern provinces had been exported to the EU, in contrast with round 100,000 tonnes earlier than the settlement was utilized. The worth of exports from the southern provinces to the EU amounted to 590 million euros (6.41 billion dirhams).
The impression on employment is equally clear. The variety of jobs is up on 2021: by 2022, it’s estimated that the settlement may have created over 49,000 direct jobs within the southern provinces (+7,000 in comparison with 2021), representing over 18% of the territory’s working inhabitants.
The European Government and the EEAS additionally spotlight the foremost infrastructure initiatives at the moment beneath building, notably within the fields of seawater desalination and renewable energies, in addition to the impression of the measures deployed when it comes to funding, improved working situations, socio-economic integration, vigorous help for youth, and infrastructure improvement.
In addition they overview the consequences of the settlement on pure assets, noting that Morocco has taken main steps within the struggle towards water stress, investing a whole lot of hundreds of thousands of euros in growing water desalination plant initiatives, that are powered by renewable vitality sources.
Because of their multiplier impact at varied ranges, these investments, they stress, ought to contribute to the financial improvement of the territories and enhance their attractiveness to native and worldwide traders, whereas additionally enabling the event of latest industrial actions that would profit from the settlement.
General, the 30-page report highlights the appreciable progress made by Morocco within the socio-economic improvement of its Southern Provinces, as a part of the “2016-2021 Growth Program” initiated by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, by the implementation of large-scale socio-economic initiatives and varied public insurance policies deployed in these areas.
In its tone and the detailed information supplied, the report displays the passable implementation of the settlement and confirms the continued improvement of commerce between the 2 events, because of the tariff mechanism benefiting Moroccan merchandise destined for export to the EU from the twelve Moroccan areas.
Leaving no stone unturned, the report highlights Morocco’s important achievements in defending human rights at nationwide degree, and its main function at multilateral degree, shedding mild on its election to the Presidency of the Human Rights Council.
It recollects the standard of the dialogue between Morocco and the EU throughout the framework of the dialogue constructions of the Affiliation Settlement, and the necessary function performed by the regional Human Rights Commissions in Dakhla and Laayoune, reiterated within the newest UN Safety Council decision.
The EU companies had been capable of trade views with varied financial gamers and representatives of civil society, together with non-governmental organizations energetic within the discipline of human rights in these areas, who underlined the important significance of the Settlement, its passable implementation and its helpful impression on the socio-economic improvement of the Moroccan Sahara areas.
With regard to the Nationwide Difficulty, the report endorses the Safety Council’s insistent name for the registration of the populations sequestered in Tindouf, Algeria, and the significance of taking all obligatory measures to this finish. It reiterates the EU’s agency help for the UN Secretary-Common’s Private Envoy, Staffan De Mistura, and the UN course of, whereas standing able to contribute to strengthening regional cooperation.
By this report, which appears like a rejection of Algeria’s place, the European Union is demonstrating its dedication to making sure the continuity of its commerce relations with Morocco, and illustrating as soon as once more the dedication of European establishments to the steadiness and improvement of the long-standing, strategic and complete financial partnership with Morocco.