Consultations are the fundamental mechanism for resolving disputes between the partners of the free trade agreement. The agreement requires the parties to work to resolve any differences between them regarding the interpretation and implementation of the agreement through direct consultations and, where appropriate, consultations within the joint committee. In cases where consultations do not result in a satisfactory solution, the parties may return to arbitration. Appendix VIII governs the Constitution and the functioning of the Tribunal. As part of their Association Agreement, which came into force in March 2000, the EU and Morocco created a free trade area for the liberalisation of trade in both directions. They then developed the free trade agreement through an agreement on trade in agricultural, agri-food and fisheries products and a protocol establishing a bilateral dispute settlement mechanism, which came into force in 2012. Morocco has maintained institutional relations with Europe since the 1960s and both sides have since enjoyed fruitful cooperation that culminated in the advanced status of 2008, which notably enhanced the Euromed process and the association agreement. Few countries share such an advanced partnership with the EU. A week after the EU and Morocco presented plans for an ambitious new trade and political agreement at the Morocco-EU Association Council, Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said in an exclusive interview how his country intends to develop relations with the EU. The accumulation of origin means that a product can be processed from a partner country or can be added to a product from another partner country, but can nevertheless be considered a “product of origin” of that second partner country for the purpose of a specific trade agreement.

The overall aim of the negotiations is to create new trade and investment opportunities and to ensure better integration of the Moroccan economy into the EU internal market. The DCFTA also aims to support the economic reforms under way in Morocco and to bring Moroccan legislation closer to that of the EU in trade-related areas. The main legal relations between Morocco and the EU are defined by the 2000 Association Agreement. Several other agreements deal with sectoral issues, including the 2006 EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement and the 2006 Open Skies Agreement. Article 12 provides for the non-discriminatory application of rules in the areas of plant health and protection and prevents parties from introducing new measures that cause excessive interference with trade. What is the timetable for negotiating the comprehensive and comprehensive free trade agreement? In 2008, Morocco was the first country in the region to benefit from advanced country status, making it a precursor in European neighbourhood policy.