Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-03-13-Speech-3-291"
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"en.20020313.11.3-291"2
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"Mr President, the Spanish Presidency is delighted with the positive state of relations between the European Union and Morocco and is determined to develop these on several levels: firstly, with the implementation of the Association Agreement that entered into force on 1 March, which sets the stage for close cooperation in a number of areas; the creation of a free trade area and the establishment of political dialogue, elements which all have a particular importance for the development of global relations with this country.
Progress has been made in numerous chapters of the Agreement and working groups have been set up in specific sectors.
The second meeting of the Association Council, taking place today, 13 March 2002, in Rabat, will provide an excellent opportunity to analyse the work being carried out to implement the Agreement and to lay down the foundations for future work. At this meeting, the Presidency will also refer to various issues of a political nature, such as the human rights situation in Morocco and the Western Sahara. It will also provide the opportunity to analyse the ways and means of strengthening relations between the European Union and Morocco with a view to preparing for the third meeting of the European Union-Morocco Association Council, which, in principle, will take place under the Danish Presidency during the second half of this year, given that the last meeting took place in October 2001.
On the other hand, the objective of the agricultural negotiations the Commission is holding with Morocco, which started in January, is to widely liberalise agricultural trade between the European Union and Morocco. In accordance with the Association Agreement, negotiations will resume in parallel with the Association Committee on 14 March and, in principle, will be concluded by the end of 2002 at the latest.
The Presidency, for its part, will continue to support Morocco’s efforts in regional and subregional cooperation, such as the Arab Maghreb Union and the Agadir Process. The latter paves the way for the creation of a free trade area, initially between Morocco, Egypt, Jordan and Tunisia, and, if this proves successful, other countries in the region which have an Association Agreement with the European Union will also have access to this area.
Finally, the Presidency is pursuing dialogue and cooperation with Morocco on migration policy, including illegal immigration, with the aim, amongst others, of jointly implementing the action plan for Morocco adopted by the Council in October 1999. This plan paves the way for socio-economic development, the integration of Moroccan nationals legally residing in Member States, the management of migratory flows and respect for the right of asylum. Several projects are being implemented, having regard, for example, to joint development in the socio-economic area, living and working conditions of Moroccan communities in the European Union, the management of border controls and also support for the fight against illegal immigration.
A meeting of the working group on social affairs and migration was held yesterday in Rabat, and there will be consultations with regard to negotiations for a readmission agreement between the European Union and Morocco during this current six-month period.
With regard more specifically to fisheries, the Council recognises the ever-important relationship between the EU and the Kingdom of Morocco in this area. The Presidency will not spare any effort to ensure that this close relationship is maintained within the framework of a mutually beneficial arrangement between both parties."@en1
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