. /.RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/REG91/4
9 January 2001
(01-0079)
Committee on Regional Trade Agreements Original:  French
FREE TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EFTA STATES
AND MOROCCO
Questions and Answers
Following the oral questions put to the parties at the meeting on 6 July 2000, the following
communication has been received from the Moroccan delegation.  Its layout is based on that of
document WT/REG91/3/Rev.1.
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I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION TO THE AGREEMENT
1. Type of agreement
Why the 12-year delay for the phasing-out of restrictions on industrial products?
The 12-year transitional period provided for under the Morocco-EFTA Agreement on the
establishment of a free-trade area is justified by the concern to protect certain sectors considered
sensitive and to enable Morocco to upgrade its industrial fabric in order to improve its
competitiveness and strengthen its competitive position, prior to the establishment of a free-trade area
with those countries.
It should be emphasized that the various agreements signed by Morocco with other partners,
including in particular the Association Agreement with the EU and the free-trade agreements withEgypt and Jordan, provide for the establishment of a free-trade area over a transitional period of
twelve years.
II. TRADE PROVISIONS
1. Import restrictions and
2. Export restrictions
The impact of the Agreement on third countries
The Morocco-EFTA Agreement should have no impact on the signatories' trade with other
partners, since it contains no provision preventing the signatory countries from according MFNtreatment to third countries or granting them preferences, just as it establishes no tariff or non-tariff
barriers to trade with third countries.WT/REG91/4
Page 2
Quantitative restrictions and their justification
Article 8 of the Morocco-EFTA Agreement provides that no new quantitative restriction on
imports or exports and no measures having equivalent effect are to be introduced in trade between the
EFTA countries and Morocco.
EFTA and Morocco abolished such restrictions from the date of entry into force of the
Agreement, with the exception − in the case of Morocco – of the products listed in Annex IV to the
Agreement, on which Morocco maintains quantitative restrictions.
These restrictions concern only a limited number of products and are justified by reasons of
protection of human health, safety and public order, protection of fauna and flora, etc. These
restrictions are applied in a non-discriminatory manner.
The foregoing is in conformity with national legislation and the provisions of Articles XX and
XXI of the GATT.
8. Sector-specific provisions
Status of the agricultural sector
Morocco and the EFTA States have concluded bilateral agricultural arrangements which
contain specific rules of origin for trade in agricultural products.
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