A new agreement is under negotiations between some Mediterranean countries (Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia) and the European Union for establishing a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). Negotiations with Morocco were launched on 1st March 2013. The agreement’s aim is twofold: extending the scope of the existing Association Agreement and bringing Moroccan legislation closer to EU legislation in trade-related areas. The negotiations started on 1 March 2013 in Rabat.
Other specific agreements are also under negotiations. In particular, talks started in November 2012 in order to renew the current Fisheries Partnership Agreement which entered into force on 28 February 2007 (see more information here). The result of this process is a new Protocol that was submitted to the Council and the European Parliament. The European Parliament expressed its support on this new Protocol on 10 December 2013 (see Resolution) while the Council decided on its conclusion on 16 December 2013 (see Decision). A human rights clause is included in the Protocol which ensures that the EU can unilaterally suspend the protocol in case of human rights violations. It will enter in force once Morocco will have completed its ratification.
Texts available: Draft of the New Protocol on Fisheries.
See also the EU website page dedicated to this issue.