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Europaudvalget 2011-12
EUU Alm.del Bilag 61
Offentligt

COU CIL OF

THE EUROPEA U IO

Brussels, 12 September 2011 (13.09)

(OR. fr)

6751/11

EXT 1

PECHE 52

PARTIAL DECLASSIFICATIO

of document:

6751/11 RESTREINT UE

dated:

18 February 2011

new classification: public

Subject :

Specific Agreement No 26: Ex-post evaluation of the current Protocol to the

Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the

Kingdom of Morocco, Impact study for a possible future Protocol to the

Agreement

Delegations will find attached the above document, partially declassified (first part

_______________________

See also EXT 1 ADD 1-5.

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EGAPESCA Lda

FRAMEWORK CO TRACT FISH/2006/20

PECIFIC

GREEME

T O

26: E

POST EVALUATIO OF

THE CURRE T

ROTOCOL TO THE

ISHERIES

ART ERSHIP

GREEME T BETWEE THE

UROPEA

IO A D THE

I GDOM OF

OROCCO

MPACT STUDY FOR A POSSIBLE FUTURE

ROTOCOL TO

THE

GREEME T

Report

December 2010

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This report has been prepared with the financial support of the European Commission.

The views expressed in this study are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the

European Commission or of its services. This report does not seek to establish the Commission’s future

policy in this area.

The content of this report may not be reproduced, or even part thereof, without explicit reference to the

source.

Oceanic Développement, MegaPesca Lda (2009). ‘Framework contract for carrying out evaluations,

impact studies and monitoring concerning the Fisheries Partnership Agreements (FPA) concluded

between the European Community and third countries, and more generally on the external aspect of the

Common Fisheries Policy: Ex-post evaluation of the current Protocol to the Fisheries Partnership

Agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco, Impact study for a possible future

Protocol to the Agreement.

INTERNAL DOCUMENT : NOT FOR PUBLICATION

Author’s contact:

OCEANIC DEVELOPPEMENT

Z.I. du Moros, 29900 Concarneau, France

Tel :

+33 2 98 50 89 99

Fax :

+33 2 98 50 78 98

Email :

[email protected]

htp:

t //www.

oceani dev.

c- com

URL :

Version : Report

Ref. report: FPA 26/MAR/10

Publication Date: 14/12/2010

Annual exchange rates used

2004

1 EUR = MAD

Source: FXTOP.com

11.02

2005

11.02

2006

11.04

2007

11.21

2008

11.33

2009

11.24

2010

11.14

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List of abbreviations

ACP

African, Caribbean and Pacific States

ICES

International Council for

the Exploration of the

Sea

Information and

Communication

Technologies

Instituto Español de

Oceanografía

Institut National de

Recherche Halieutique

(National Institute for

Fisheries Research)

International Union for

Conservation of Nature

Illegal, Unreported and

Unregulated

Million euro

Moroccan Dirham

Million ECU

Northwest Atlantic

Fisheries Organisation

Non-governmental

organisation

National Indicative

Programme

Office National des

Pêches (National

Fisheries Office)

Fish landing site

Refrigerated Sea Water

Sanitary or

Phytosanitary

Total allowable catches

Value added

Village de Pêche

(fishing village)

Vessel Monitoring

System

CECAF

Turnover

Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central

Atlantic

Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and

Flora

Ministerial Conference on Fisheries

Cooperation among African States

bordering the Atlantic

Data Collection Framework

Data Collection Regulation

Direct foreign investment

Département de Pêche Maritime (Sea

Fisheries Department)

Exclusive Economic Zone

European Fisheries Fund

Etablissement de Formation Maritime

(Maritime Training Institute)

European Free Trade Association

Food and Agriculture Organisation

Fisheries Monitoring Centre

Full-time equivalent

Food and Veterinary Office

Gross Domestic Product

Gross registered tonnage

International Convention for the

Conservation of Atlantic Tuna

ICT

IEO

CITES

INRH

COMHAFAT

DCF

DCR

DFI

DPM

EEZ

EFF

EFM

EFTA

FAO

FMC

FTE

FVO

GDP

GRT

ICCAT

IUCN

IUU

M€

MAD

MECU

NAFO

NGO

NIP

ONP

PDA

RSW

SPS

TAC

VDP

VMS

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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................1

PART 1: GENERAL FRAMEWORK ....................................................................................2

GENERAL PRESENTATION ......................................................................................2

1.1 Physical geography ...............................................................................................2

1.2 Population .............................................................................................................3

MACROECONOMIC SITUATION ...............................................................................4

2.1 Gross domestic product.........................................................................................5

2.2 Foreign trade .........................................................................................................6

2.3 Budgetary aspects.................................................................................................8

2.4 Foreign investment and the business climate........................................................9

2.5 Employment.........................................................................................................11

REGIONAL DATA .....................................................................................................12

RELATIONS WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION ..........................................................14

4.1 Political aspects...................................................................................................14

4.2 Financial aspects.................................................................................................15

4.3 Relations with other donors .................................................................................15

PART 2: ANALYSIS OF THE FISHERIES SECTOR.........................................................17

OCEANOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MOROCCAN EEZ ...................17

1.1 Exclusive Economic Zone ...................................................................................17

1.2 Hydrological conditions of the Moroccan Atlantic coastline .................................17

THE MOROCCAN FISHERIES SECTOR .................................................................20

2.1 National fishing fleet ............................................................................................20

2.2 Foreign fishing fleet .............................................................................................25

2.3 Summary: fishing fleets in the Moroccan EEZ.....................................................31

2.4 Aquaculture .........................................................................................................32

2.5 Land-based industries .........................................................................................33

2.6 Utilisation of catches............................................................................................35

2.7 Employment.........................................................................................................41

SUPERVISION OF THE SECTOR AND CHECKS FOR COMPLIANCE WITH

THE REGULATIONS ................................................................................................43

3.1 Principal fisheries supervisory measures ............................................................43

3.2 The national surveillance and control system......................................................45

THE INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK.......................................................................47

4.1 The main institutions responsible ........................................................................47

4.2 Sectoral policy .....................................................................................................51

4.3 International integration .......................................................................................58

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STATE OF FISHERIES resources ................................................................... 59

5.1 Small pelagic species ................................................................................. 59

5.2 Demersal resources ................................................................................... 68

5.3 Large pelagic species................................................................................. 74

5.4 Impact of fishing on the environment.......................................................... 75

PART 3: ASSESSMENT OF THE FISHERIES PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT....... 84

THE FISHERIES PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT ............................................ 84

1.1 Presentation of the agreement and its protocol .......................................... 84

1.2 The fishing opportunities negotiated........................................................... 86

1.3 Utilisation of negotiated fishing opportunities ............................................. 87

1.4 The cost of the agreement.......................................................................... 91

1.5 Provisions dealing with seamen and compulsory landings......................... 96

1.6 Provisions on monitoring of vessels ........................................................... 99

SOCIOECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF THE AGREEMENT ... 100

2.1 Economic analysis.................................................................................... 100

2.2 Employment.............................................................................................. 105

THE PARTNERSHIP APPROACH................................................................. 106

3.1 Partnership in the field of sectoral policy .................................................. 106

3.2 Partnership in the scientific field ............................................................... 107

3.3 Partnership in the field of economic integration ........................................ 108

3.4 Partnership in the field of inspection and surveillance .............................. 109

EX-POST EVALUATION OF THE PROTOCOL TO THE AGREEMENT ....... 119

4.1 The effectiveness of the fisheries agreement ........................................... 110

4.2 The efficiency of the fisheries agreement ................................................. 112

4.3 The relevance of the fisheries agreement ................................................ 114

4.4 The viability of the fisheries agreement .................................................... 115

4.5 Main conclusions of the ex-post evaluation .............................................. 116

CONCLUSION........................................................................................................ 118

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NTRODUCTION

Fisheries relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the EU are longstanding. Before Spain’s

accession, there were already agreements which allowed Spanish vessels access to Moroccan

fishing zones. Under the exclusive competence of the Union in this field, it was logical for the

Community institutions to take over these agreements, with a first Agreement concluded in 1988.

This Agreement was renewed several times without interruption until 1999, when the two parties

were forced to concede that the negotiations had failed.

The two parties decided to resume dialogue on the subject and, in July 2005, the EU and Morocco

signed a Fisheries Partnership Agreement which would enter into force only in February 2007 after

the ratification procedures. The Protocol to the Agreement expires in February 2011. Prior to the

renegotiation of the Agreement, and following the Council guidelines and the provisions of the EU

Financial Regulation, the present Protocol must be the subject of ex-post evaluation and an impact

study to ascertain whether the results of the programme correspond to the objectives set (ex-post

evaluation) and to provide the legislator with the means to judge whether a new programme (the

future protocol) is necessary and consistent with the Union policies in this sector, by providing it

with the tools to assess the impact of the policy. To this end, DG MARE assigned the evaluation of

this Protocol to the consortium of undertakings holding the FISH/2006/20 framework contract.

The Fisheries Partnership Agreement concluded between the EU and Morocco is of particular

importance in many respects. Firstly, its financial importance and the European fishing capacities

which can fish in the Moroccan fishing zone. With provision for more than 100 EU vessels and with

a financial contribution of EUR 36.1 million per year for four years, the Agreement with Morocco is

the second most significant Community agreement with the countries of the South, far behind the

agreement with Mauritania (EUR 85 million per year maximum) but exceeding the agreement with

Guinea Bissau (EUR 7.5 million per year maximum), which is the third largest agreement in

financial terms. The agreement with Morocco represents 25% of the budgetary commitments of

DG MARE for bilateral fisheries agreements. Secondly, the agreement is important as it involves

two partners with neighbouring, and in part common, frontiers which have chosen to strengthen

their political links and to move towards progressive economic integration. The Association

Agreement which entered into force in 2000 and the advanced status accorded to Morocco in 2008

constitute tangible evidence of this will to deepen relations.

This draft final evaluation report provides a general portrait of the Moroccan economy. It seeks to

define the significance of the fisheries sector in the country’s macroeconomic equilibrium. In part 2,

the fisheries sector in Morocco is reviewed in order to present its main characteristics and to

identify the absolute and relative contribution of the European part in its recent development.

Finally, part 3 of this report uses the results of the first two parts to draw the main lessons of

relevance for the ex-post evaluation of the Protocol and the impact study of several scenarios for

renewal of the Protocol to the Agreement in progress so that a future protocol respects the

international commitments of the two parties and minimises any unfavourable impact on the parties

to the Agreement.

The key information for this evaluation study was collected by examining the relevant literature and

supplementing this by talks with the Commission services, the Moroccan authorities, and the

stakeholders of European and Moroccan civil society (primarily professional organisation). An

assessment mission to Morocco was organised in September 2010, during which the experts were

able to meet the Moroccan authorities and the EU delegation at Rabat, the research institute and

national fisheries office in Casablanca, and various parties involved in the sector in Dakhla. These

meetings in Morocco were held in an excellent spirit of cooperation and in full transparency. The

mission thanks the Moroccan authorities for their availability and the assistance given for the

organisation of the meetings in Morocco.

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PART 1: GENERAL FRAMEWORK

1.1

GENERAL

RESENTATION

Physical geography

Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country located in North-West Africa and

belonging to the Maghreb. Its political capital is Rabat, whereas its economic capital and largest

city is Casablanca. The country is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Spain, the Straight

of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Algeria to the east and

de facto

by Mauritania

to the south, beyond the Western Sahara which is in dispute. The country covers an area of some

710 000 km², of which 252 000 km² in the Western Sahara.

Figure 1: General map of Morocco and the Western Sahara. Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, France

The Moroccan climate is both Mediterranean and Atlantic, with a dry, hot season coupled with a

cold wet season, the end of the hot period being characterised by the October rains. The presence

of the sea mitigates the temperature differences, moderates the seasons and increases the air

humidity (400 to 1000 mm of rain at the coast). Inland, the climate varies according to the altitude.

The summers are hot and dry, especially when the sirocco or the chergui, a summer Saharan

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wind, is blowing. During this season, the temperatures average 22°C to 24°C. The winters are cold

and rainy with frost and snow. The average temperature then fluctuates between -2°C and 14°C

and may fall as low as -26°C. The mountainous regions have very heavy rainfall (over 2000 mm of

rain in Rif or 1800 mm in the Middle Atlas). Pre-Saharan and Saharan Morocco has a dry desert

climate.

1.2

Population

According to estimates, Morocco’s resident population in mid-2010 is approximately 31.8 million.

The country experienced strong demographic growth throughout the 20th century, with its

population multiplying six-fold. During the same period, the proportion of the population in urban

areas increased constantly, attaining 55% in 2004: the country now has some thirty cities with

more than 100 000 inhabitants, whereas there were none a century ago; and three agglomerations

(Casablanca, Rabat-Salé and Fès) have more than one million inhabitants.

Population

35 000 000

30 000 000

25 000 000

20 000 000

15 000 000

10 000 000

5 000 000

1960

1971

Urban

1982

Rural

1994

2004

Figure 2: Trend in the Moroccan population according to censuses. Source: High Commission for Planning

The population of the Kingdom comprises almost as many men as women. The percentage of

women is 50.7%. The proportion is the same in both town and countryside. By age group, 31.2% of

inhabitants are under 15 years of age, 60.7% between 15 and 59 and 8.1% are 60 years of age

and over. Compared to the 1994 census, the proportions of the population of working age and

those of retirement age have increased to the detriment of the young, indicating a relative ageing

of the population of the country. This phenomenon should be compared to the sharp fall in the total

fertility rate from 7.2 in 1962, to 3.3 in 1994, then to 2.5 in 2004.

In 2008, the Moroccan diaspora was estimated at 5.2 million people spread over the five

continents. Just under 85% of Moroccan residents abroad were at that time resident in Europe.

France, in first place, accommodated 34% of the Moroccan expatriate community, i.e. 1.9 million

people, of whom 31% in the vicinity of Paris. Then comes Spain with 917 132 residents, followed

by Italy with 710 105, the Netherlands and Belgium, both with about 500 000. Germany and the

United States total 140 000 and 250 000 residents respectively.

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MACROECO OMIC S

ITUATIO

Morocco now belongs to the category of emerging countries, in the same capacity as India or

Turkey. Morocco is classified by the United Nations in the lower middle income category of

countries.

Morocco has a liberal market economy governed by the law of supply and demand, although for

the time being some economic sectors are still State monopolies (although none in the fisheries

sector).

The country’s economic system is multi-faceted. It is characterised by considerable openness to

the outside world, as shown by the various free trade agreements which Morocco has ratified with

its main economic partners:

•

the free trade agreement with the European Union in the context of the EuroMed partnership,

also associating other countries of the continent bordering on the Mediterranean;

•

the free trade agreement with the EFTA countries;

•

the Agadir Agreement, signed with Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, in the context of the

establishment of the Arab Free Trade Area;

•

the free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates;

•

the free trade agreement with Turkey;

•

and recently the free trade agreement with the United States, which entered into force in

2006.

Morocco is the world’s leading producer and exporter of phosphates. This product represents a

significant inflow of foreign currency for the country. Concentrated in the north, 60% of farmland in

this region is devoted to this activity, which is highly lucrative given the trend in world prices.

Morocco also exports significant quantities of handicraft products each year.

Cereals (wheat and barley) are cultivated on 50% of the arable land. These economically important

crops are cultivated on the basis of two systems: one very modern and the other still archaic.

Since independence, the authorities decided to exploit the immediate possibilities offered by the

country. The government policies had several objectives:

•

Turning the rural and agricultural aspect of the country to effect in order to develop modern,

efficient agriculture, despite the difficult climatic conditions plaguing the country, with a view

to fuelling exports, the country’s domestic markets and the agri-foodstuffs industry. It should

also be noted that the fisheries sector was already making a large contribution to exports.

•

The authorities have opted for large-scale exploitation of the deposits of phosphates, of

which the country possesses about one third of the known world reserves, in this way leading

to the establishment of a major chemicals plant for the processing and development of

phosphates.

•

The industrial processing sector has not lagged behind since the country is still seeking to

attract a growing number of foreign investors. The government aims to strengthen several

sectors, such as textiles, light processing industries, mechanical engineering industry, motor

industry, pharmaceuticals, electronics, new technologies and recently the aeronautics sector

thanks to the national enterprises and especially too the many European relocations to

Morocco in this field.

Therefore Morocco, plus Algeria, Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria,

Tunisia and Turkey.

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•

In Morocco, the development of tourism has received considerable government attention. For

that matter, the government has always given strong encouragement to private Moroccan

investors and large international groups to make massive investments in this sector.

•

Development in the tertiary sector has accelerated strongly over the past decade and more,

in particular in the sectors of banking, finance, retailing and distribution, mobile telephony

and offshoring (relocation of call centres and services, as well as European computer service

companies, etc.).

2.1

Gross domestic product

According to the data of the National Accounts Department of the High Commission for Planning,

Morocco’s GDP at current prices amounted in 2008 to just over EUR 60 billion and has been rising

steadily since 2004. Accounting for 55%, the tertiary sector remains the main contributor to GDP. It

outstrips the secondary sector (30% contribution) driven in particular by the mining sector, and the

primary sector, the contribution of which amounts to approximately 15%. Overall, GDP at current

prices has risen by 11.8%, compared to 6.7% in 2007. The added value from agriculture rose by

20.7%, whereas that from non-agricultural activities increased by 12.4%.

Table 1: Details of Morocco’s gross domestic product. Data shown in EUR million.* Source: High Commission for

Planning

Economic sector

Primary sector (M€)

Agriculture

Fisheries

Secondary sector (M€)

Extractive industry

Industry (other than petroleum)

Petroleum

Electricity and water

Construction

Tertiary sector (M€)

Commerce

Hotels & restaurants

Transport

Post and telecommunications

Other services

Public administration

Total basic prices (M€)

Tax on income net of subsidies

2004

6 727

6 264

463

11 758

736

7 134

1 184

2 615

22 738

4 923

1 001

1 688

1 397

9 717

4 012

41 223

4 604

2005

6 313

5 711

602

12 137

816

7 002

135

1 323

2 860

24 559

5 123

1 176

1 630

1 503

10 779

4 348

43 009

4 875

2006

7 924

7 350

574

12 738

954

7 355

117

1 330

2 981

26 253

5 521

1 202

1 663

1 643

11 636

4 589

46 916

5 380

2007

6 684

6 130

554

13 296

1 174

7 321

1 405

3 321

28 699

5 804

1 454

2 075

1 774

12 962

4 631

48 679

48 703

6 294

2008**

8 028

7 323

681

16 581

3 982

7 678

1 423

3 412

30 104

6 231

1 437

2 109

1 886

13 675

4 766

54 713

54 689

6 109

GDP (M€)

45 827

47 884

52 296

54 974

60 798

* The original data are in million MAD. They were converted into EUR on the basis of the mean parity presented in the introduction for the purposes

of this study.

** Forecasts

Economic growth amounted to 5.6% in 2008, compared to 2.7% one year previously, as a result of

the 16.6% increase in added value of the primary sector and, to a lesser extent, the progress in the

non-agricultural activities, although this has slowed from 6% to 4.1%. In fact the deterioration in the

economic situation in the euro area, Morocco’s main trading partner, especially from the fourth

quarter, has affected certain industrial sectors, the production of which mainly targets the

European market, as well as tourism and transport.

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At primary sector level, agricultural activities increased by 16.3%, as opposed to a fall of 20.8%

one year previously. Cereals production more than doubled from one year to the next on account

of more favourable weather conditions, whilst fisheries activities recorded an increase of 19% after

a fall of 10.1% one year previously. On the other hand, the growth rate in the secondary sector fell

from 6.6% to 3.6%, mainly as a result of the 5.9% contraction in the activity of the extractive

industries and the slowdown in the activities of the manufacturing industries following the decline in

foreign demand linked to the world crisis. The agri-foodstuffs industries (including the processing of

fisheries products) make a significant sectoral contribution, estimated to represent 35% of

industrial GDP. The tertiary activities, including the non-market services supplied by the public

administration, rose by 4.1% after 6.1% growth in 2007, despite the near stagnation in

tourism-related services. For their part, commercial activities and telecommunications have

recorded appreciable progress year-on-year.

For 2009, the IMF forecasts real growth of 5%, sustained in particular by a crop year deemed to be

exceptional. The financial sector in Morocco is unlikely to be greatly affected by the world financial

crisis in view of its low exposure to toxic assets. However, the world crisis does affect the real

sector. Morocco felt the effects of the crisis largely through the economic slowdown in Europe, its

main trading partner. Although most of the recent data show a recovery in revenue, for the first half

of 2009 compared to that of 2008, exports fell by 34%, tourism revenue declined by 14% and

remittances by 12%. DFI was also down by 34%. Affected by the employment crisis in Europe,

transfers by Moroccan nationals established abroad also fell significantly. These transfers

represent about 10% of GDP.

For all that, according to the IMF, economic activity in 2009 resisted partly thanks to the soundness

of the initial conditions, attributable to the reforms in recent years. The reforms of the past ten

years have stimulated non-agricultural growth and made the economy more resilient to shocks,

thereby enabling Morocco to limit the impact of the crisis. In particular, the macroeconomic gains –

low inflation, low budget deficits and public debt ratios falling – as well as the structural reforms

designed to increase economic flexibility, have increased Morocco’s room for manoeuvre in its

response.

→The fisheries sector and GDP

The contribution of the fisheries sector to Morocco’s GDP is estimated at approximately 1% of total

GDP and at 7% to 8% of primary sector GDP. However, this contribution takes no account of the

activities relating to the catching and first sale of the produce and takes no account of the added

value generated by the related upstream sectors (shipbuilding and repairs, supplies of goods and

services for fitting out vessels) and especially the downstream sectors (processing and marketing

of fisheries products). The contribution from the related sectors to GDP is posted to the accounts

under other sectors, notably those of industries and services.

According to the assessments of the Minister responsible for fisheries, the total contribution of the

fisheries sector to GDP, all sectors together, is in the order of 2% of national GDP. This

contribution remains low, which would indicate that the fisheries sector in Morocco is not yet a

driver of growth.

2.2

Foreign trade

The Moroccan trade balance records a deficit which has tended to increase over the past five

years (from EUR -7.7 billion in 2005 à EUR -13.6 billion in 2009). For this last year, the trade

balance shows a 10% improvement, but this masks a slowdown in exports of 29% compared to

2008, which is a consequence of the fall in international demand resulting from the financial crisis.

The concurrent decline in imports in 2009 (-18.7%) is attributable to the significant fall in petroleum

product prices.

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Table 2: Moroccan trade balance Source: Foreign Exchange Office

(million EUR)

Imports

Exports

Balance

Cover rate

* Provisional data

2005

16 731

9 008

-7 724

53.8%

2006

19 072

10 143

-8 929

53.2%

2007

23 308

11 197

-12 112

48.0%

2008

28 777

13 746

-15 031

47.8%

2009*

23 593

9 961

-13 632

42.2%

Moroccan imports are dominated by hydrocarbons (petroleum products, gas) and capital goods

(machines, vehicles, domestic equipment), which together account for 55% (2008) to 60% (2009)

of total imports. Owing to the fall in world prices in 2009 compared to 2008, the value of imports of

hydrocarbons fell by almost 50% in 2009 compared to 2008. Thanks to a favourable crop year,

Morocco was also able to halve its cereals imports in 2009.

Morocco’s main exported goods are phosphates and derived products, ready-made clothing and

fisheries products. On account of the fall in world prices, the contribution of phosphates, which in

2008 accounted for 33% of total exports and a value of nearly EUR 4.5 billion, in 2009 amounted to

only 17% and a value of EUR 1.7 billion (-63%). The exports of ready-made goods also fell

between 2008 and 2009 (-6%) with a contribution to total exports rising by 12% to nearly 16%.

Exports of fisheries products (raw or processed) in 2008 represented a value of nearly EUR 1.2

billion (8.5% of total exports in 2008) but fell to EUR 1.1 billion in 2009. This sector’s contribution to

total exports shows a significant increase in 2009 (11.1% of Moroccan exports). For 2009, like the

previous year, exports of fisheries products are well above the exports of other agricultural sectors

(citrus fruit, tomatoes or fresh and processed vegetables).

As regards Morocco’s trading partners, the European Union remains the main partner, well ahead

of the countries of Asia, America or Africa. In 2009, 60% of imports into the country originated in

the EU and 70% of Moroccan exports were destined for the EU market. The second most

important partner region is Asia, with 22% of imports and 14% of exports. By country, France and

Spain are Morocco’s main trading partners, with shares of 18.3% and 14.8% respectively of total

trade. The balance of trade between the EU and Morocco is heavily in favour of the EU (deficit of

EUR 8.8 billion in 2008 and EUR 7.1 billion in 2009).

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Table 3: Geographical structure of trade. Source: Foreign Exchange Office

(million EUR)

EUROPE

Other

Import

2005

10 804

8 834

1 970

2006

11 722

9 837

1 884

2007

14 622

12 377

2 253

2008

17 816

15 062

2 754

2009*

14 069

12 279

1 790

EUROPE

Other

Export

6 978

6 638

340

7 820

7 375

445

8 462

8 022

440

8 933

8 225

709

6 959

6 484

475

ASIA

Import

Export

3 513

892

4 277

978

4 822

1 083

6 626

2 265

5 076

1 372

AMERICA

Import

Export

1 435

601

1 706

619

2 556

889

3 015

1 462

2 991

675

AFRICA

* Provisional data

Import

Export

933

460

1 038

571

1 483

565

1 551

705

1 194

719

→The fisheries sector and foreign trade

Raw or processed fish, crustaceans and molluscs make a significant contribution to export

earnings, accounting for 11% of the total and a value of EUR 1.1 billion (2009 provisional data).

Exports of fisheries products provide a positive net contribution to the trade balance in so far as

imports are very limited apart from products admitted under temporary procedures for inward

processing and which are therefore subsequently re-exported. The fishing industry therefore plays

a significant role in the country’s export earnings. As will be shown below, the EU market, and

especially those of Spain, France and Italy, is the main outlet for the fisheries product exports,

accounting for nearly 70% of turnover. The second major market is that of the other African

countries, which generates 13% of export earnings. It is a particularly dynamic sector, with a

turnover which has practically doubled between 2004 and 2008.

2.3

Budgetary aspects

The table below shows the main budgetary aspects published in the successive Finance Acts

passed since 2007. The budget deficit forecasts aim to confine the deficit to about 2% of GDP

each year. The 2010 budget takes account of the indirect effects of the world financial crisis on

Morocco, with falling revenue accompanied by expenditure estimates which are also lower.

Morocco plans to control the expenditure of the Administration with a smaller operating budget

than in 2009, but by continuing to increase investment, with a forward budget exceeding EUR 7

billion, whereas it was below EUR 5 billion in 2008.

- Page 8 -

6751/11 EXT 1

ANNEX

kea/JL/ms

DG B III