UK's Interest in Moroccan Public Procurement
In a significant move to strengthen economic ties, the United Kingdom is keen on facilitating its companies' participation in public procurement contracts announced by the Moroccan government, which are estimated to be worth around £33 billion. The UK government is actively seeking to establish a legal agreement with Morocco, intended to be incorporated as a new chapter within the existing bilateral partnership agreement between the two nations.
To advance this initiative, the UK’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has launched a public consultation as a preliminary step towards commencing negotiations with Morocco. This consultation aims to include a new chapter regulating public procurement in the bilateral partnership agreement, thereby activating the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries last year. The consultation period, which extends until September 11, is designed to gather feedback from economic stakeholders, businesses, and the general public, allowing the UK to adopt a clear negotiating position that reflects its aspirations to broaden economic collaboration with Morocco in the realm of public procurement.
Expected Outcomes and Legal Framework
The explanatory note issued by the British government indicates that the Moroccan public procurement market is anticipated to reach approximately £33 billion in the coming years. If the forthcoming agreement is finalized, it will mark the first legal commitment between the UK and Morocco in the field of public procurement and will be the inaugural agreement of its kind that Britain enters into with an African nation. From the UK's perspective, incorporating a specific chapter on public procurement into the partnership agreement with Morocco is expected to establish clearer and more transparent rules, ensuring equal treatment for companies from both countries when competing for the public contracts encompassed by the agreement.
The source emphasizes, "We are currently in the scoping phase, and any future action plan will be subject to further communication and consultation. We are looking to gather more evidence and feedback regarding British companies' experiences in the Moroccan public procurement market." The aim of the chapter that the UK’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is attempting to include in the partnership agreement with Morocco is to create a legal framework that guarantees transparent and fair competition, providing equal opportunities for goods, services, and suppliers from both nations in targeted government tenders.
One of the key justifications for the UK’s approach is that Morocco is not a member of the World Trade Organization's Government Procurement Agreement, especially given the absence of any previous international trade commitments between the two parties in this sector. In early June 2025, Morocco and the UK signed four memorandums of understanding, one of which specifically pertains to public procurement.
As reported by hespress.com.
