Rabat — Germany has reiterated the “great” importance of cooperation between the European Union and Morocco, emphasizing the long standing and deepened ties between Rabat and Brussels.
A spokesperson from the German Federal office conveyed his country’s position, noting that the EU-Morocco ties are set to deepen further.
The remarks came following the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling against the EU-Morocco partnership agreements related to fisheries and agriculture.
On Friday, the court accused the European Commission of “violating” the “the right to self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.”
In response, the German representative recalled the joint statement made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU High Representative Josep Borrell, which emphasized the two parties’ determination to maintain cooperation and deepening ties with Rabat.
The joint statement reiterated Germany’s commitment to preserving its close relations with Morocco in all areas, representing the importance of Morocco and its partnership with the EU.
In regards to the ECJ verdict, the German office said it took note of the court’s decision but recalled the need to strengthen ties between Berlin and Rabat.
Germany is one of the countries that has publicly endorsed Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as a serious and credible political solution to end the dispute over Western Sahara.
Cooperation between the two countries covers several areas, including economic development, security, migration, as well as justice, innovation, and climate change.
A factsheet under the European Commission places Morocco as a keyEU trading partner, noting that Rabat is also the EU’s biggest trade partner among the Southern Neighbourhood countries, with 25% of total EU trade in goods with the region.
“In 2021, almost half (49%) of Morocco’s total imports were from the EU, while 59% of Morocco’s total exports was towards the EU,” the report shows, noting that total trade in goods between the two parties reached €44 billion.
The EU is also the biggest foreign investor in Morocco, accounting for more than half of the country’s FDI stock.
