10-11 November General Affairs Council

Date: 16/11/1995

AFTER 14 hours of negotiations, EU foreign ministers finally reached agreement on the Association Agreement with Morocco in the early hours of Saturday (11 November).

DESPITE earlier publicity about German and Dutch demands on cut flowers and concern in Belgium and the Netherlands over tomato quotas, concessions to Portugal over its sardine industry were decisive in finalising the deal. Portugal was eventually satisfied with a deal phasing out tariff quotas on imported canned sardines over three years, providing an extra 2.2 million ecu in support for its canning sector and reallocating 15 million ecu from other sources.

CHANGES to the arrangements for cut flowers will see the increase in the import quota being phased in gradually up to 1999. Ministers also agreed to bar tomato imports during April, spreading the 10,000 tonnes originally proposed for that month over the preceding five months. Italy dropped a complaint over the import price for imported oranges.

MINISTERS also reached a compromise on illegal immigration, drawing up a declaration that countries be allowed to negotiate individually with Rabat.

THE rest of the accord, including plans to establish a free trade area in industrial goods in 12 years, had already been tied up. Although Morocco tried at one stage to reopen discussions on the EU-Morocco fisheries accord, that deal was initialled on Monday (13 November).