Morocco, EU seal agricultural agreement extending trade terms to Southern Provinces
The accord confirms that products from Western Sahara will enjoy the same tariff preferences as goods from northern Morocco.
MOROCCO – Morocco and the European Union have concluded negotiations on amending their agricultural agreement, Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita announced Thursday in Rabat.
He confirmed that the deal will be signed “very shortly in Brussels” and said it will apply provisionally from the moment of signature while both sides finalize internal steps.
According to Bourita, the text “provides the necessary clarifications while fully respecting Morocco’s national fundamentals” and stays true to the spirit of the 2018 exchange of letters between Rabat and Brussels.
He emphasized that the deal extends preferential tariffs under the Association Agreement to products from Morocco’s southern provinces, including the Western Sahara.
In effect, agricultural goods from Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra and Dakhla-Oued Eddahab will now be treated under the same terms as those from the north.
Clearer labeling and technical rules
The amended text introduces new technical requirements. Packaging will have to specify the regions of production in the south, ensuring clearer labeling for agricultural exports.
The agreement also recalls the EU’s 2019 position, which recognized Morocco’s “serious and credible” efforts regarding the Western Sahara dispute. Several EU member states have since endorsed Morocco’s autonomy initiative, further strengthening its position.
“This is not a political accord but a sectoral, commercial, and operational one. Still, it sends strong and clear signals,” Bourita told reporters.
Economic, strategic impact
Bourita credited King Mohammed VI’s “enlightened vision” for transforming the southern provinces into “a zone of development, connectivity, and prosperity, a hub of stability and regional growth.”
He pointed to recent international interest in the region, including “a strong statement by the United States last week,” preparations for the Morocco-France Economic Forum in Dakhla on October 9, and UK Export Finance’s planned programs.
On a national scale, the agreement is expected to strengthen Morocco’s agricultural GDP while supporting job creation, particularly in the Western Sahara. Bourita said, “Naturally, this agreement reinforces the long-standing and solid Morocco-EU strategic partnership.” He reminded that Morocco is one of the EU’s leading trade partners in Africa and the Arab world, with annual trade flows exceeding €60 billion in industrial goods, equipment, and agricultural products.
Broader context and outlook
Similar agreements in the past, such as the EU’s agricultural partnership with Tunisia and fisheries accords with Mauritania, underline the bloc’s push to secure stable trade ties with North Africa.
For Morocco, the extension of tariff terms to the south carries political weight as it strengthens recognition of its economic management in the Western Sahara.
Bourita concluded that Morocco and the EU will continue preparing joint milestones. He underlined that cooperation spans not only agriculture and trade but also politics, social policy, migration, mobility, security, digital technology, and culture.
“At a time of regional complexity and structural crises,” he said, “this step allows Morocco and the EU to look to their shared future with confidence and ambition.”
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