Health Ministry launches World Health Survey 2025 Survey to collect accurate health status database of Saudi population    Dr. Al-Rabeeah at UK House of Lords: Saudi Arabia provides $134 billion in aid to 172 countries in 30 years    Saudi Arabia receives first Hajj 2025 pilgrims from multiple countries    3rd phase of Vision 2030 to focus on sustaining transformation and capitalizing on emerging growth opportunities    Housing minister expects moderate real estate prices in Riyadh    Travel mayhem in Spain and Portugal as power outage grounds flights, paralyzes train networks    Saudi Arabia at ICJ: Israel turns Gaza Strip into a pile of rubble    SR200,000 reward for each player of the Saudi club winning AFC Champions League title    William and Kate celebrate anniversary on Isle of Mull    Hope and fear as tourists trickle back to Kashmir town after attack    Israel spy chief to step down after row with Netanyahu exposes deepening rifts    Localization in Saudi military industries rises to 19.35%    Logistics park for vehicles worth SR300 million to be set up at Dammam port    HONOR KSA expands its presence with new flagship Experience Store in Riyadh HONOR's first flagship store in KSA provides visitors with a premium experience, exciting offers and free services    Al-Falih: Eastern Province hosts 700 investment opportunities worth SR330 billion    Rock & Roll Hall of Fame picks Outkast but not Oasis    Al Ahli cruise past Buriram into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Duran leads Al Nassr past Yokohama Marinos into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi orchestra to perform at Sydney Opera House in May    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



The Moroccan-European Partnership
Published in AL HAYAT on 25 - 09 - 2011

When the European Union was piling up its criticisms against Morocco in the field of human rights violations within the so-called “bullet years,” the economic relations with Rabat were only affected to the extent up to which this or that party were harmed by those relations. Circumstances led Morocco to give up on France as its main partner and one that monopolizes external trade; and to proceed in the direction of a larger openness to Spain, Italy, and Portugal.
Currently, the economic relations are leaning in the direction of caution and blame while Rabat has benefitted from its “advanced situation” in its relationship with the European Union for only a short time. This is because the debate around the coastal fishing agreement has been revived to a large extent, although the European Union is considered to be the highest beneficiary from this economic and commercial agreement. The agreement has political backdrops including the fact that it involves all the coasts all the way to the last point of the northern borders with Mauritania, including the desert governorates.
At the beginning, Morocco had a bilateral agreement with Spain, which owns the largest fishing fleet in the region. But the developments related to attracting the European interest in addition to expanding the chances for partnership have made it necessary to transform the bilateral agreement into a European one. This came concomitantly with the openness on the agricultural products exports. There was no surprise in that some of the economic confrontations between the two sides were dubbed, “the tomato wars,” or the “fish wars.” Indeed, the relationship was not an equal one: Whenever competition grew fierce, the Moroccan agricultural products were being subjected to additional pressures and selective policies while the European Union's imported goods – including mainly Moroccan fish – were being unloaded in the Spanish ports with no problems. This implied that the political aspect of any economic and commercial conflict is affected by double standards.
Several European capitals, namely Madrid, benefitted from the difference in positions between the Northern African countries as it exported the Algerian gas and moved in the direction of becoming the “economic power” with the highest investment in Morocco. So is the case of the French relations, which were interested in seeing the disputes in the northern African countries affect France.
The United Nations' Secretary General Ban Ki-moon once noticed that the partners of the North African region are interested in securing their own interests without having any concerns. There were indeed signs indicating that the economic and commercial connections were not affected by the repercussions of the desert conflict. But the question is: why are some parties at the European parliament currently raising questions concerning the legal relevance of the coastal fishing agreement signed with Morocco?
If the long-term purpose clearly consists of the renewal of the agreement through negotiation rounds that would benefit the Europeans, then the “advanced situation” achieved by Morocco in its relations with the European Union seems pointless. At least, Rabat is not entitled to have high hopes for moving to a better phase of political and economic partnership and for obtaining a position that is only a notch less than a full membership at the European club.
No partnership is immune unless it is balanced, equal, and free of pressure. But the reason for the weakness that is causing any negotiator to lose its strong pressure cards is that the Maghreb region is drowning in its contradictions. There is nothing wrong in the fact that the Europeans are taking advantage of this contradiction in order to achieve the highest possible level of economic and commercial infiltration.


Clic here to read the story from its source.