EU/Morocco Agreement: dispute settlement mechanism

2010/0181(NLE)

The document presents the definitive text of the Agreementbetween the EU and Morocco establishing a Dispute Settlement Mechanism.

To recall, Parties negotiated an Agreement, the objective of which is to avoid and settle any trade dispute between the Parties with a view to arrive at, where possible, a mutually agreed solution.

Scope: the provisions of this Agreement apply with respect to any dispute concerning an alleged violation of the provisions of Title II of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of Morocco, of the other part or of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco concerning reciprocal liberalisation measures on agricultural products and processed agricultural products.

Main provisions: the Agreement provides for the following:

·        opportunities to settle disputes before establishing an arbitration panel, through consultations and mediation;

·        streamlined and effective procedures on the composition of the arbitration panel and compliance proceedings with clear time-limits;

·        rules on openness and transparency, with provisions on open hearings, amicus curiae briefs, and the publication of the panel report;

·        provisions on relations with the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding.

The procedures of this Agreement shall apply if, 60 days after a dispute has been referred to the Association Council pursuant to Article 86 of the Association Agreement, the Association Council has failed to settle the dispute.

For further information on this Agreement, please refer to the summary of the previous initial legislative document dated 22/06/2010.