Mr Olivér Várhelyi, European Commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement and Mr Fouzi Lekjaa, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Finance, responsible for the Budget have signed several cooperation programmes with a total value of 5.5 billion dirhams (almost €500 million) in Rabat, supporting key areas of reform in the Kingdom.

At the event, the European Commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement stated: “Morocco is and will remain one of the European Union’s key partners. Less than a year after my visit to Morocco, during which I presented our renewed partnership with our Southern neighbours and our economic and investment plan, I am proud to announce that the EU has begun its implementation. Today, alongside the Minister Mr Lekjaa, I signed five programmes worth a total of €500 million supporting the country’s key priorities, namely social security, the green transition, access to finance, public administration and youth employment. In addition to this, there is also an ambitious programme to support the Moroccan national migration and mobility strategy”.

The new commitments signed today include five programmes:

• Support to Reinforce social security — The “KARAMA” programme, worth a total of 1.43 billion dirhams (€130 million), will support a major reform of the social security system, one of the Moroccan government’s main priorities. This programme will support targeted actions aimed at ensuring the Moroccan population has fair access to universal healthcare, child benefit, unemployment benefit and pensions. Simultaneously, the programme will also reinforce social security provision and rights for vulnerable people (protection and care, including for migrants).
• Support for the green transition — as part of the EU-Morocco Green Partnership commitments, the “Terre Verte” programme, worth a total of 1.26 billion dirhams (€115 million), aims to support the environmentally-friendly, inclusive and innovative aspects of two national strategies, Génération verte” for agriculture and “Forêts du Maroc” for forestry, as well as boosting decent employment, green entrepreneurship and social provision for workers in rural regions. This programme will be implemented in four agricultural and forestry regions: Tétouan-Tangier-Al Hoceima, Beni Mellal- Khenifra, Draa-Tafilalet and the Oriental region. It includes an existing €15 million contribution granted to Morocco as part of the 2022 Food and Resilience Facility.
• Support to reform the public administration — A 550 million dirhams (€50 million) programme will strengthen access to, and the quality of,
  public services for citizens and businesses, by streamlining and digitising administrative procedures, improving transparency and monitoring the quality of public service provision. This programme will also contribute to the decentralisation of administrative services, bringing the administration closer to citizens and businesses. Finally, it will support the development of online administration services (e-administration).
• Support to manage migration — A programme worth a total of 1.67 billion dirhams (€152 million), focusing on migration will improve the management of Morocco’s borders, as well as the integration of migrants and refugees, in line with the National Immigration and Asylum Strategy (SNIA). This programme will support action to combat people smuggling networks and protect refugees and migrants, as well as voluntary return and the reintegration of migrants in their home countries, in accordance with international human rights regulations.
• Support to Improve financial inclusion — A programme worth 561 million dirhams (€51 million) will support the Moroccan national financial inclusion strategy. This strategy aims to improve access to finance for microenterprises, SMEs and start-ups, specifically targeting vulnerable groups such as young people, women and people living in rural areas.