Explanatory Memorandum to COM(2014)583 - Conclusion of a Protocol to the association agreement with Morocco to take account of the accession of Croatia to the EU

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The Euro-Mediteranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and its Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of Morocco, of the other part ('the Agreement'), was signed on 26 February 1996 and entered into force on 1 March 2000.

The attached proposal constitutes the legal instrument for concluding a Protocol to the Agreement ('the Protocol') to take account of Croatia's accession to the European Union (hereinafter referred to as 'the Protocol').

According to its Act of Accession, Croatia is to accede to the international agreements signed or concluded by the EU and its Member States by means of a protocol to those agreements.

On 14 September 2012 i, the Council has authorised the Commission to open negotiations with the third countries concerned with a view to concluding the relevant protocols. The negotiations with Morocco were successfully concluded by the initialling of the Protocol.

The Commission considers the outcome of the negotiations to be satisfactory and requests the Council to adopt the attached decision concluding the Protocol after it has obtained the consent of the European Parliament.