Morocco

EU and Morocco

Relations between the EU and Morocco are based on the Association Agreement, which entered into force in 2000 and was reviewed in 2015. The last Association Council meeting took place on 27 June 2019 and adopted a Joint Declaration which gave new impetus to the strategic, multidimensional and privileged EU-Morocco relationship.

Bilateral Cooperation

On 9 February 2021, the European Commission adopted a Joint Communication on the renewed partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood, establishing a new Agenda for the Mediterranean to relaunch and reinforce the EU’s partnership with the region. This is the basis of the current cooperation framework between the EU and Morocco.

EU assistance to Morocco is primarily funded through the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI-GE) for the period 2021 to 2027. 

The EU bilateral allocation to Morocco for the period 2021 to 2024 amounted to €931 million.

The Joint Communication on the renewed partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood is accompanied by an Economic and Investment Plan for the Southern Neighbourhood (EIP) to strengthen resilience and build prosperity in the region. The EIP implements the Global Gateway in the region. EIP projects implemented in Morocco include:

• Support to Green Energy - “Energie Verte”, boosting transition to a greener economy and energy sector by supporting regulatory reforms, improving electricity market governance, power production and supporting reform to strengthen integration with the EU electricity market 
• Higher education, research, innovation and mobility, supporting ongoing reforms to meet the challenges of the country’s social and economic situation, with a focus on employability of Moroccan graduates
• Support to Social Protection (Karama) and Financial Inclusion, supporting specific actions to ensure a fair access for the Moroccan population to universal health coverage, family allocations, unemployment insurance and pensions, while also promoting a resilient economy and a more inclusive private sector growth
• Rehabilitation of the railway, renewing the existing conventional rail infrastructure and improving signalling, safety and flood protection

More on EU-Morocco relations: Factograph – EU-Morocco relations - European Commission

Further information

Factsheets available to download