(3) Implementation of the partnership’s priorities and approximation of legislation should be monitored. The EU’s competences provide a framework for developing relations and cooperation with the Mediterranean countries in a manner consonant with the coherence and overall balance of the Barcelona Process.
(4) Decision No 2/2005 of the EU-Morocco Association Council of 18 November 2005 amending Protocol 4 to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement, concerning the definition of the concept of ‘originating products’ and methods of administrative cooperation(4), removed the reference to the customs cooperation committee. A new legal basis for the establishment of the customs cooperation committee must therefore be created.
(5) Article 84 of the Association Agreement provides for the setting up of the working groups or bodies necessary for the implementation of the Agreement.
(6) Article 44(a) of the Association Agreement established an economic dialogue between the EU and Morocco. Rules of procedure should be adopted for the economic dialogue group.
(7) New areas of dialogue and cooperation have emerged since the agreement on the EU-Morocco Action Plan. Not all of these areas are covered by the subcommittees created by Decision No 1/2003 of the Association Council.
(8) Steps must be taken to ensure that all the subject areas mentioned in the Association Agreement and the EU-Morocco Action Plan are monitored by the relevant subcommittees,
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
Article 1
An EU-Morocco Customs Cooperation Committee shall be set up under the Association Committee charged with scrutinising implementation of the Association Agreement and the EU-Morocco Action Plan approved under the neighbourhood policy, providing administrative cooperation in the implementation of Protocol No 4 to the Association Agreement, and carrying out any other tasks in the customs field which may be entrusted to it.
The rules of procedure of the Customs Cooperation Committee are provided in Annex 1.
The Customs Cooperation Committee shall work under the authority of the Association Committee, to which it shall report after each meeting. The Customs Cooperation Committee shall have no decision-making power. It may, however, make recommendations with a view to facilitating the proper implementation of the Association Agreement and submit proposals to the Association Committee. These recommendations and proposals shall be adopted by mutual consent.
The Association Committee shall take any other action needed to ensure that the Customs Cooperation Committee operates properly and inform the Association Council accordingly.
Article 2
The rules of procedure of the economic dialogue group set up by Article 44(a) of the Association Agreement are provided in Annex 2 and are hereby adopted.
The economic dialogue group shall work under the authority of the Association Committee, to which it shall report after each meeting. The group shall have no decision-making power. It may, however, submit proposals to the Association Committee.
The Association Committee shall take any other action needed to ensure that the group operates properly and inform the Association Council accordingly.
Article 3
The lists of subject areas covered by subcommittees No 1 ‘Internal market’, No 2 ‘Industry, trade and services’, No 3 ‘Transport, environment and energy’, No 5 ‘Agriculture and fisheries’ and No 6 ‘Justice and security’ of the Association Council, as indicated in Annex III, point 3, of the rules of procedure of the subcommittees adopted by Decision No 1/2003 of the Association Council, shall be amended in accordance with the provisions of Annex 3 of this Decision.
Article 4
This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its adoption.
Done at Brussels, 26 November 2008.
For the Association Council
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