WT/COMTD/RTA1/M/1  
 
8 April 2022 
(22-2879) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Trade and Development  
Sixteenth  Dedicated Session on Regional Trade  
Agreements    
 
FREE TRADE  AGREEMENT BETWEEN MOROCCO AND THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES  
(GOODS)  
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 25 MARCH  2022 
Chairman: H.E. Dr Muhammad Mujtaba Piracha (Pakistan)  
1.  The 16th Dedicated Session on Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) of the Committee on Trade  and 
Development (CTD) was convened in document WTO/AIR/COMTD/RTA/ 11/Rev.1 of 15 March  2022. 
Under item  E (I) of the agenda, the Committee considered the Free Trade Agreement between 
Morocco and the United Arab Emirates (Goods) (WT/COMTD/RTA 1/N/1, WT/COMTD/RTA 1/1). The 
present document contains the minutes relating to the consideration of this agreement.1  
2.  The Chairman  said that t he Free Trade Agreement between Morocco and 
the United  Arab Emirates was notified under paragraph 4(a) of the Enabling Clause by Morocco on 
19 June 2019. The notification was circulated on 11 July 2019 in document WT/COMTD/RTA1/N/1. 
The factual presentation on the agreement – document WT/COMTD/RTA1/1 da ted 6 August 2021 – 
had been prepared by the Secretariat on its own responsibility, and in full consultation with the 
parties. No written questions were received on this agreement before the present meeting. As per 
the usual practice, he wished to organize  the consideration of the agreement by first inviting the 
parties to make their introductory remarks. The floor would then be opened for interventions by 
other Members, including on the factual presentation. The parties could provide responses at any 
time during the discussion to any questions raised. Members would also have the opportunity to ask 
follow -up written questions after the meeting was concluded. He would remind Members of 
the timeframes for follow -up questions and responses at the end of the dis cussion on the agreement.  
3.  The representative of  the United Arab Emirates  noted that the parties had submitted their 
comments to the Secretariat on the draft factual presentation that had been shared with them.  
In the absence of any questions on the agreeme nt by Members, the parties did not have anything 
to add  to what the Chairman had said in his remarks . However, if any questions were submitted, 
the parties  were ready to provide  further information on the agreement as needed .  
4.  The representative of  the United States  thanked Morocco and the United Arab Emirates for the 
notification of  the agreement  and for participating in  the transparency exercise.  
5.  The representative of the European Union  thanked the parties  for the notification  of the 
agreement , and the Secretariat for the preparation of the factual presentation . 
6.  The Chairman  said that oral discussion of the Free Trade Agreement between Morocco and 
the United Arab Emirates could be concluded in accordance with paragraph 11 of th e Transparency 
Mechanism for RTAs (RTA TM). Follow -up questions by Members would need to be submitted in 
writing to the Secretariat within one week, by 1 April 2022. The parties would then be given 
two weeks to submit written replies, by no later than 15 April 2022. In accordance with paragraph  13 
of the RTA TM, all written submissions as well as the minutes of the present meeting would be 
circulated promptly in all WTO official languages, and would be made available on the WTO website.  
 
1 The general minutes of the CTD's 16th Dedicated Session on RTAs are contained in document 
WT/COMTD /RTA/M/1 6. WT/COMTD/RTA1/M/1  
 
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  7.  The Committee took n ote of all interventions .  
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