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Joint communiqué on the Closing Conference of the institutional twinning on competition
The President of the Competition Council, Mr. Ahmed Rahhou, and the Ambassador of the European Union to the Kingdom of Morocco, Ms. Patricia Llombart Cussac, took part on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, in Rabat, in the opening of the closing conference of the institutional twinning with a consortium composed of competition authorities from three European Union (EU) member states, namely Italy, Greece, and Poland, under the supervision of the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
This closing conference of the twinning program launched in December 2021 for a duration of two years, was also marked by the participation of the Ambassadors of the three member countries as well as the Presidents of the authorities composing the consortium.
It is to be recalled that this twinning is part of the implementation of the “Succeeding the Advanced Status Phase II” program aimed at strengthening the partnership between the Kingdom of Morocco and the European Union. This project is part of the regulatory convergence process towards the community acquis and aims to consolidate the principles of free and fair competition and to enhance the competitiveness of the economy and the development of the private sector.
This meeting was an opportunity to present the main achievements of this successful project, particularly in terms of training judges and rapporteurs of the Competition Council as well as exchange workshops with key players in the competitive ecosystem including universities, media, and legal consulting firms. It was also an opportunity to present the database of European case law in competition law which includes decisions of competition authorities that have become final as well as judgments rendered by competent EU courts in this field.
This database will be periodically updated and gradually enriched with Moroccan case law in order to provide practitioners of competition law with the latest decisional developments in this area.
On this occasion, Ms. Patricia Llombart Cussac stated: « We are concluding today a fruitful partnership between peers and these exchanges of expertise will certainly be a value added for both the Moroccan Competition Council and its European counterparts. Competition law is an essential element in a state of law. Strong and independent institutions are necessary to ensure its proper application and I am delighted that this twinning has been an opportunity to bring together four institutions of strategic importance working towards this task. »
For his part, Mr. Rahhou welcomed the quality of this partnership which has achieved substantial results and laid the groundwork for future bilateral cooperation with the competition authorities that participated in this twinning in order to capitalize on the project’s achievements. This approach is in line with the directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, aimed at strengthening the impartiality and capacities of the Competition Council, a constitutional institution, and reinforcing its role as an independent body contributing to the strengthening of good governance, the rule of law in the economic world, and consumer protection. It also aims to strengthen convergence in the field of competition law to provide better visibility of the legal standard to the economic world and ensure the competitive functioning of markets for the benefit of consumers.
Rabat, December 12, 2023
