ENPI EUROMED
The European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle has welcomed the European Parliament’s vote in favour of a Protocol, which provides a legal basis for Morocco’s participation in EU programmes.
“Today’s vote is important since the Protocol is a further contribution to the deepening of the relations between the EU and Morocco, in accordance with the advanced status,”Commissioner Füle said in Strasbourg on Tuesday after a big majority of the MEPs voted for it. “This Protocol will be one more step towards closer integration with Morocco, which underpins its reform efforts,” he added.
Participation in Union programmes can be an important means for Morocco to become more familiar with EU policies and support Morocco’s gradual efforts to transpose the EU acquis, a press release said. The Protocol will enable Morocco’s full participation in seven Union programmes in the areas of customs, energy, entrepreneurship, ICT policy, consumer policy, air traffic management, research and health. It will also help to underpin participation in other programmes, which foresee cooperation with ENP partners in certain activities.
The opening-up of Union programmes and agencies for partner countries is an important instrument of the European Neighbourhood Policy to support reform and modernisation and to promote the transfer of EU standards and best practices. In December 2010, Morocco become one of the first partner countries with which the Protocol was signed.
The European Parliament was yesterday also debating theEU-Morocco agreement on agricultural and fishery products. A vote on the agreement is scheduled to be held on Thursday. (ENPI Info Centre)
Read more
European Parliament file – EC/Morocco Euro-Mediterranean Agreement: Framework Agreement on the general principles for the participation of Morocco in Union programmes. Protocol
European Parliament look-ahead to debate on EU-Morocco agreement on agricultural and fishery products
ENPI Info Centre webpage – Morocco
EU Delegation – Morocco
EU Delegation to Morocco on Facebook
