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Rabat – The European Union and the National Office of Electricity and Potable Water (ONEE) have renewed their commitment to continue boosting cooperation at all levels.
This commitment was made during a delegation visit to the national office’s wastewater treatment station in Sidi Allal Tazi, near Rabat.
The delegation included ambassadors from the EU, member states accredited to Morocco, as well as representatives from the European Investment Bank in Morocco, the French Development Agency, and the German Development Bank.
A statement from ONEE said the visit is part of elevating Morocco’s efforts towards sustainable water use within the framework of the National Program for Shared Liquid Sanitation and Reuse of Treated Wastewater.
The program’s goal is to achieve a 95% water connection rate and an 80% pollution reduction rate in urban areas by 2040.
The national initiative is also set to equip 1,200 district centers in rural areas with potable water and to reuse 573 cubic millimeters each year.
The site-visit “also demonstrates the confidence of European financial partners in supporting Morocco and ONEE in implementing its strategy and its ability to carry out structural and innovative projects that meet Morocco’s sustainable development goals,” the statement said, referencing King Mohammed VI’s leadership.
The Moroccan water authority stated that the cooperation with the EU dates back to 1994, and has resulted in the completion of several structural projects in the fields of drinking water and liquid sanitation with an invested MAD 1.6 billion ($160.3 million).
Patricia Llombart Cussac, Ambassador of the EU to Morocco said at the site-visit marks the importance of integrated and efficient management of water amid shared scarcity challenges that both Morocco and the European Union face.
“The EU and its member states cooperate with the kingdom in the water sector, in terms of investments, governance, and promoting transparent information systems,” she added.
During the site visit, ONEE outlined its strategy, recalling that it mobilized a MAD 17.83 billion ($1.7 billion) investment by the end of June 2024 to complete 152 of the 189 treatment plants currently operating nationwide.
This represents 80% of the plants completed, with a total treatment capacity of approximately 197 million cubic meters of water per day or 540,370 cubic meters a day.
ONEE acknowledged that the EU as well as other institutions contributed to these efforts.
Morocco, EU partnership
Morocco and the EU frequently reiterate their mutual determination to boost bilateral ties.
This relationship has undergone a few challenges, including a hostile campaign that targeted Morocco’s territorial integrity last year.
In October, the European Court of Justice announced a hostile verdict against the EU-Morocco partnership agreement related to agriculture and fisheries trade deals.
The court accused the EU Commission of violating the “right of self-determination” for the “population of Western Sahara.”
In response to the claims, European bodies backed their partnership with Morocco, stating that it would continue to cooperate with the North African country.
Kaja Kallas, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs said he knows the body can “rely on Morocco to strengthen our longstanding relationship and face challenges together.”
Morocco also called on the EU to clarify “how it intends to address the provocations and legal and economic pressures that Morocco is currently facing.”
Morocco’s Foreign Affairs Minister Nassr Bourita said in November that Rabat is expecting the EU to propose “meaningful suggestions and solutions that reflect its commitment to this partnership.”
