European Parliament VP Calls for Deeper Partnership with Morocco

The Vice-President of the European Parliament, Pina Picierno, pleaded, Wednesday in Brussels, for a deeper multiform partnership between Morocco and the European Union. “This partnership must promote actions in favor of the ecological and digital transition and the promotion of common values, especially in terms of security and sustainability,” stressed the MEP, during a meeting at the European Parliament on “EU-Morocco cooperation and trade for sustainable development in the Mediterranean”. Given the current context and the challenges facing the world, the EU-Morocco partnership cannot be based solely on trade, but must aim to better promote sustainable development, peace and stability in the Mediterranean, said Pina Picierno, a member of the Social Democrats in the European Parliament. Over the past twenty years strong ties have been created and consolidated between the Kingdom and Europe, she said, expressing the wish to continue this journey, together, for years to come. For his part, MEP Salini Massimiliano of the European People’s Party (EPP) group, stressed that relations with Morocco are “essential” for the European Union, noting that the Kingdom is the closest African country culturally to the EU. “The economic, energy, environmental and political challenges facing us today require more investment in the Mediterranean, including Morocco,” he said, emphasizing the need to strengthen the partnership in the fields of renewable energy and green hydrogen. According to him, “there is a real common desire to meet the current challenges and identify the milestones on which we can focus our partnership.” Organized by the CGEM, in partnership with the European Parliament, the meeting explored opportunities for close cooperation between the EU and Morocco in the current geopolitical context. It also discussed the “potential of EU-Morocco relations” and opportunities for “economic integration” and “cooperation in renewable energy,” in the presence of MEPs, Moroccan parliamentarians, members of the CGEM and the European employers’ association BusinessEurope.