EU Commission, Adopts New €115m Initiative To Support Green Partnership In Morocco

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – European Union (EU) adopted a new programme worth €115 million yesterday to support the ecological, inclusive and innovative development of Morocco’s agricultural and forestry sectors.

The programme “Terre Verte” aims to contribute to the national strategies of Morocco “Green Generation” and “Moroccan Forests” covering the period 2020-2030 by promoting an ecological transition conducive to the creation of decent work opportunities in Morocco in the agricultural and forestry sector.

The programme “Terre Verte” is an important programme under the Economic and Investment Plan, funded under the NDICI-Global Europe.

The €115 million includes the allocation for Morocco worth €15 million from the ‘Food and Resilience Facility’, which will support, in particular, priority response measures to optimise national agricultural production as well as support for producers for the development of more sustainable agricultural practices.

The EU-Morocco Green Partnership also aims to advance the external dimension of the European Green Deal through action on the ground and is expected to become a model for similar partnerships with other countries, including on the African continent, where Morocco already leads in terms of environmental and climate ambitions.

The EU-Morocco Green Partnership is also one of the flagships of the EU’s Economic and Investment Plan of the New Agenda with the Mediterranean.

Ahead of COP27, this Partnership also sends an important political signal of shared ambition to tackle the climate emergency.

Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans said the Green Partnership between Morocco and the EU is the first of its kind and an important recognition of Morocco’s leadership and potential in the green transition.

The support to Moroccan agriculture and forestry provided through this programme shows that the EU is on Morocco’s side in the fight against the climate and biodiversity crises.”

Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi noted that Morocco has just experienced the worst drought in 40 years, threatening water and agricultural systems, noting that the war in Ukraine is exacerbating tensions in the food markets, including in the EU’s Southern Neighbourhood region.

“We stand with Morocco to address this challenging situation and, with this €115 million programme under the EU’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Southern Neighbourhood, we aim to support Morocco’s development of sustainable agriculture practices and sustainable management of forest resources in the country”, he said.

The programme has three specific objectives: support for sustainable agricultural value chains, protection and management of forestry, and job creation and social inclusion across the two sectors. The programme will intervene in the four pilot regions of Tetouan – Tangier – Al Hoceima, Beni Mellal – Khenifra, Draa-Tafilalet and L’Oriental.