Water and Environment in the EU/Morocco Action Plan

 Environment

 (72) Promote good environmental governance

• Complete the establishment of administrative structures responsible for environment protection and water management at central and local level and of procedures to ensure strategic planning in these areas, including financial strategies. Improve coordination between the various actors; in particular between the various ministries involved in environment protection and water resource management.
• Establish procedures concerning access to information and public participation, also with regard to environmental impact assessments.
• Draw up regular reports on the state of the environment.
• Develop and implement communication strategies on the environment and natural resource management; support the various civil society actors and local authorities.
• Exchange know-how and experience on environmental governance.

 (73) Prevent and combat the deterioration of the environment, protect human health and promote the rational use of natural resources, in line with the NEAP and Johannesburg Summit undertakings

• Strengthen the administrative capacity of the authorities responsible for environment protection and water management, including the issuing of permits and monitoring and inspection tasks.
• Adopt the framework legislation, implementing texts and basic procedures in the main environmental sectors identified in the NEAP. Promote gradual approximation of the Moroccan legislative framework with the EU's.
• Promote rational management of water resources. Adopt a general financial strategy on water issues where appropriate.
• Adopt and implement a national waste management strategy.
• Implement action under the plan to combat desertification.
• Strengthen activities to preserve biodiversity and protect the marine environment, including the introduction of Euro-Mediterranean programmes to prevent and combat marine pollution.

 (74) Enhance cooperation on environmental issues

• Introduce practical arrangements for cooperation with the EU on implementation of the environment conventions and protocols, particularly as regards biodiversity, climate change, desertification and waste management: special attention will be paid to implementing the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, including CDM.
• Ratify the amendments to the Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution (Barcelona Convention) and its protocols, in particular the new Emergency Protocol and the new Protocol on Biodiversity.
• Identify possibilities for enhanced regional cooperation with neighboring countries, especially with regard to water and desertification problems.
• Possible participation in certain activities of the European Environment Agency.