Asociación Verde, la nueva iniciativa de la Unión Europea y Marruecos
Cooperation in the field of energy, the fight against global warming, the protection of the environment and the promotion of the green economy were the priorities identified by both parties during the Skhirat retreat. The European Union and Morocco know that their paths will be linked and cooperation between them must be optimal. The fruit of this good relationship is the "Green Partnership" project, which was announced at an event on Monday 28 June, held telematically due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Present at the announcement were Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, Mohamed Benchaâboun, Minister of Economy, Finance and Administration Reform, Aziz Rabbah, Minister of Energy, Mines and Environment, Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Olivér Varhélyi, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy and Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries.
This collaboration in the Green Partnership will reflect a strong political convergence between the supranational organisation and the Alawi kingdom on issues related to the environment and sustainable development. It will be able to build, on the one hand, on the ambitions of the European Green Pact, launched in December 2019, and on the other hand, on the National Strategy for Sustainable Development adopted in June 2017. The strength of this project once again demonstrates the will of both parties to continue a close relationship that they hope can be enshrined in joint policies such as the one presented at the "Green Partnership" event.
This joint project also aims to reflect the commitment of the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco to the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change, placing the energy transition to a clean model at the heart of their policies and investments. In addition, the sustainable management of water and waste, the fight against atmospheric pollution, as well as the protection of biodiversity, the transformation towards a low-carbon economy and the increase of adaptation capacities and climate resilience, are some of the aspects that the agreement reached by Europeans and Moroccans will seek to ensure.
"Morocco has established itself as a key partner in the various stages that led to the renewal of the EU's Mediterranean Agenda in February this year," said Olivér Varhélyi, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy. This is another of the reasons that have led the Union to consecrate an agreement on which it has been working for some time and which can now, at last, see the light of day. He added that "it is proof of the common will of the Kingdom of Morocco and the European Union to strengthen their strategic relationship by working together on the energy and economic transition towards a clean and low-carbon model".
It is now time for both parties to make this new agreement count and strengthen their policies, not only environmental, as reflected in this "Green Partnership", but also strategic, ensuring the security of the Morocco-EU link. This new step is intended to be one of the pillars in relations and, furthermore, to lay the foundations for other future agreements that may arise from an inactive partnership whose fundamental objective is to develop a model of sustainable cooperation around the clean energy transition that is mutually beneficial and favours the emergence of economic and social opportunities.
