Proposal for a Council Decision on a Community position in the Association Council on the implementation of Article 73 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of Morocco, of the other part
Date: 2000-11-30
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Morocco, anti-discriminatory measure, association agreement (EU), cooperation policy, social security

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 30.11.2000
COM(2000) 764 final

Proposal for a

COUNCIL DECISION

on a Community position in the Association Council on the implementation of Article 73
of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the
European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of
Morocco, of the other part

(presented by the Commission)

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

Article 73 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association
between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and
the Kingdom of Morocco, of the other part, lays down that a working party to
evaluate the implementation of the social provisions of the Agreement shall be set up
by the Association Council by the end of the first year following the entry into force
of the Agreement

It is vital that these provisions be implemented in view, inter alia, of the level of
migration between Morocco and the European Community and the various problems
this creates.

The working party will undertake a continuous and regular evaluation of the
Agreement's social provisions and will look in particular at compliance with the
principle of non-discrimination on the basis of nationality between Moroccan and EU
workers in the areas covered by the Agreement and the application of the
Agreement's social security provisions. It will also be responsible for promoting
dialogue and cooperation in the social field.

The draft drawn up by the Commission is largely inspired by the Decision taken on
the same subject under the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement with Tunisia.

The Council is therefore requested to adopt the attached draft Decision of the
EC-Morocco Association Council setting up a working party on social affairs.

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Proposal for a

COUNCIL DECISION

on a Community position in the Association Council on the implementation of Article 73
of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the
European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of
Morocco, of the other part

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular the
second subparagraph of Article 300(2) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,1

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

The Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the
European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of
Morocco, of the other part, was concluded on 24 January 2000,

Article 73 of that Agreement states that the Association Council must adopt a decision
setting up a working party to be responsible for the continuous and regular evaluation
of the implementation of Chapters I, II and III of Title VI by the end of the first year
following the entry into force of the Agreement,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article

The position to be adopted by the Community within the Association Council established by
the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement concluded between the European Communities and their
Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of Morocco, of the other part, on the
implementation of Article 73 of the Agreement, shall be based on the draft Decision of the
Association Council annexed to this Decision

Done at Brussels,

1

OJ C …, …, p. …

For the Council
The President

3

ANNEX

Draft Decision No ../2000 of the Association Council between the European
Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of Morocco, of
the other part, of ……..2000

setting up a working party on social affairs

THE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL,

Having regard to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the
European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of
Morocco, of the other part,2

Whereas Article 73 of the Agreement provides that a working party be set up to evaluate the
implementation of Chapters I, II and III of Title VI of the Agreement,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Pursuant to Article 73 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association
between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the
Kingdom of Morocco, of the other part, a working party on social affairs is hereby set up to
perform a continuous and regular evaluation of the implementation of Chapters I, II and III of
Title VI of the Agreement.

The working party shall be responsible for:

Article 2

1)

2)

3)

4)

ensuring compliance with the principle of non-discrimination on the basis of
nationality between workers of Moroccan nationality and workers who are nationals
of each Member State as regards working conditions, remuneration and dismissal
and social security (within the meaning of the Agreement);

implementing the social security provisions laid down in Articles 65 to 68 of the
Agreement;

dialogue in social matters in accordance with Article 69 of the Agreement;

cooperation on social matters referred to in Article 71 of the Agreement.

The working party shall be convened by its chair with the parties' mutual consent. It shall
meet alternately in the territory of the European Community and Morocco.

Article 3

2

OJ L 70, 18.3.2000.

4

Article 4

The working party shall be chaired in turn by a representative of the party acting as President
of the Association Council.

Article 5

1)

2)

3)

The chair shall draw up the provisional agenda for each meeting. It shall be sent with
the convening notice to the members of the working party no later than 20 days
before the beginning of the meeting.

The provisional agenda shall include the items in respect of which the chair has
received a request for inclusion on the agenda together with any relevant document
from any of the working party's members not later than 25 days before the date of the
meeting.

The agenda shall be adopted by the working party at the beginning of each meeting.
Any item other than those on the provisional agenda may be placed on the agenda if
the Community and its Member States, of the one part, and Morocco, of the other
part, so agree.

Article 6

The working party shall consist of officials of the Member States of the European
Communities, Morocco and the Commission of the European Communities assisted by
officials of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union.

An official of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union and an official of
the Moroccan Government shall jointly provide the working party with secretarial services.

If both parties agree that the presence or participation of particular experts is required in order
to obtain specialised information, the working party may invite such experts for such purposes
as it shall define.

The working party shall report after each of its meetings to the Association Council and may
submit to it drafts or proposals for decisions and/or recommendations.

Article 7

Article 8

This Decision shall enter force on the day of its adoption.

Done at Brussels,

For the Association Council
The President

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