Morocco is set to enter negotiations with the European Union for a new multibillion-euro partnership agreement, focusing on migration management and strategic cooperation. The proposed deal, which would build upon existing arrangements between Rabat and Brussels, aims to strengthen the kingdom's role in managing migration flows toward Europe. According to the Financial Times, EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica identified Morocco as the EU's «most important» partners in this effort. The European Commission's data indicates that previous cooperation between Morocco and the EU has involved substantial funding, with Brussels granting Rabat more than €2.1 billion between 2014 and 2022 for migration-related initiatives. The new agreement is expected to match the scale of the EU's recent €7.4 billion deal with Egypt, encompassing broader areas including trade and energy projects. The negotiations coincide with recent developments regarding Morocco's southern provinces. A European Court of Justice ruling earlier this year on a previous fishing and agriculture agreement has raised concerns in Rabat about its impact on the new partnership framework. According to Šuica, the impact of this ruling on a possible deal with Morocco is currently being assessed. The agreement would join a series of similar partnerships the EU has established with regional nations, including Tunisia's €255 million deal from last year and the recent €7.4 billion agreement with Egypt, as part of Brussels' broader strategy to manage migration through cooperation with neighboring countries.
