EU-Morocco Trade Deal Expands to Sahara, Sparks Economic Shift

A trade agreement between the EU and Morocco integrating the Sahara will be put to a vote on Wednesday, October 1. This is the result of negotiations conducted over several months between Rabat and Brussels. The Council of Europe authorized the start of the talks on September 10. Five days later, the discussions were closed and the agreement initialed. From September 18, "the Commission adopted its proposals for the signing, provisional application and conclusion of the treaty", and the "documents were transmitted to the Council". Last Friday, "the presidency announced that the vote in the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) would take place on October 1".

It is planned to finance "energy, irrigation and desalination infrastructures in the southern provinces of Morocco" and to finance programs for education and culture. The European Commission has proposed a provisional application in order to avoid any disruption of trade flows. The previous agreement had been resubmitted for deliberation, between 2016 and 2019. The text provided that exports of products originating in the Sahara enter the EU without tariff preferences".

"The negotiated text contains detailed legal developments", which will be highlighted in the coming hours, it is specified.