PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the EU and Morocco concerning reciprocal liberalisation measures on agricultural and fishery products, the replacement of Protocols 1, 2 and 3 and their Annexes and amendments to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an EU-Morocco Association.
PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.
BACKGROUND:Article 16 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement which has been in force since 1 March 2000, provides that the Community and Morocco will gradually implement greater liberalisation of their reciprocal trade in agricultural products, processed agricultural products, fish and fishery products.
In July 2005, the EU-Morocco Association Council adopted an Action Plan of the European Neighbourhood Policy including a specific provision having the objective of the further liberalisation of trade in agricultural products, processed agricultural products, fish and fishery products.
On 14 October 2005, the Council authorised the Commission to conduct negotiations with Morocco within the framework of the Association Agreement, in order to achieve that objective.
On 14 December 2009, the Commission concluded negotiations on behalf of the Union in respect of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters with the aim of amending the Association Agreement.
It is now necessary to approve the Agreement on behalf of the Union.
IMPACT ASSESSMENT: no impact assessment was carried out.
LEGAL BASE: the first subparagraph of Article 207(4), in conjunction with Article 218(6)(a) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
CONTENT: with this draft Decision, the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the EU and Morocco concerning reciprocal liberalisation measures on agricultural products, processed agricultural products, fish and fishery products, the replacement of Protocols 1, 2 and 3 and their Annexes and amendments to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Morocco, of the other part, is approved on behalf of the European Union.
Safeguard measure: the text includes specific provisions on safeguard measures. It states that the Union needs to take a safeguard measure concerning agricultural products, fish and fishery products.
The text of the Agreement is attached to this Decision (see Council Doc 15974/10).
For details of the content of the Agreement please refer to the previous initial legislative document dated 16/09/2010.
BUDGETARY IMPLICATION: the proposal has no implications for the Union’s budget.