Date: 2026-01-28Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: Europe
Decision No 2/2025 of the EU-Morocco Association Council of 3 October 2025 amending Protocol 4, concerning the definition of the concept of ‘originating products’ and methods of administrative cooperation, to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of Morocco, of the other part [2026/242]
**Executive Summary**
This document presents Decision No 2/2025 of the EU-Morocco Association Council, adopted on October 3, 2025, which amends Protocol 4 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement. The amendment ensures the continued applicability of Protocol 4, particularly for products originating in Western Sahara and the continuation of trade for the fruit, vegetables and fisheries sectors. The decision applies from October 3, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Amendment of Protocol 4:** Title III is added to Protocol 4 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement concerning originating products and administrative cooperation. This is about the Joint Declaration concerning the application of Protocols 1 and 4 to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of Morocco, of the other part.
* **Exceptions to mutatis mutandis application:**
* When applying the Convention and the transitional rules, "its vessels" and "its factory ships" refer to a Member State of the Union, Morocco or Western Sahara.
* The application of transitional rules should not be affected by any working, processing or modification in Morocco or consignments exported from Morocco to the Union.
* **Completing Proofs of Origin:**
* **EUR.1 Certificate:** Box 2 must reference the "Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the EU and the Kingdom of Morocco on the amendment of Protocols 1 and 4 to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement of 3 October 2025".
* Box 4 should be left blank.
* References to "Dakhla Oued Ed-Dahab" or "Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra" should be entered in Box 7, "Remarks."
* **Origin Declaration:** References to "Dakhla Oued Ed-Dahab" or "Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra" should be entered in connection with footnote (2) of the annexes on the text of the origin declaration.
* **Effective Date:** The decision enters into force upon adoption and applies from 3 October 2025.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Exporters**
* **Impact:** The changes to the completion of EUR.1 certificates and origin declarations affect how exporters document the origin of their products, particularly those from the regions of Dakhla Oued Ed-Dahab and Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra.
* **Action Required:** Exporters must follow the new instructions for completing EUR.1 certificates and origin declarations, including referencing the new agreement in Box 2 of the EUR.1 certificate, leaving Box 4 blank, and making appropriate references in Box 7 and the origin declaration's footnote.
**Stakeholder: Customs Authorities**
* **Impact:** Customs authorities will need to understand and implement the new rules for verifying the origin of products from Western Sahara.
* **Action Required:** Customs authorities must accept EUR.1 certificates and origin declarations completed according to the new guidelines and ensure the consistent application of these rules.
**Stakeholder: EU Member States and Morocco**
* **Impact:** These countries will be subject to the provisions of the updated Protocol 4, particularly as it relates to the trade of goods originating in Western Sahara.
* **Action Required:** Member states and Morocco must ensure that their trade practices and relevant regulations align with the amended Protocol 4 to maintain preferential trade relations.
Key Entities Referenced
Protocol 4: Protocol 4 to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement, defining 'originating products' and administrative cooperation, amended by this decision
Euro-Mediterranean Agreement: Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, and the Kingdom of Morocco
EU-Morocco Association Council: The body that adopted this decision
Western Sahara: Region of origin where products subject to Moroccan customs controls benefit from same trade preferences as those granted by the EU
Official Journal EN
of the European Union L series
2026/242 28.1.2026
DECISION NO 2/2025 OF THE EU-MOROCCO ASSOCIATION COUNCIL
of 3 October 2025
amending Protocol 4, concerning the definition of the concept of ‘originating products’ and methods
of administrative cooperation, to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association
between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of
Morocco, of the other part [2026/242]
THE EU-MOROCCO ASSOCIATION COUNCIL,
Having regard to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and
their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of Morocco, of the other part(1), and in particular Article 5 of
Protocol 4 thereto concerning the definition of the concept of ‘originating products’ and methods of administrative
cooperation,
Whereas:
(1) Article 29 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities
and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of Morocco, of the other part (the ‘Association
Agreement’), refers to Protocol 4 to that Agreement (‘Protocol 4’), which lays down the rules of origin.
(2) Article 5 of Protocol 4 provides that the Association Council may decide to amend the provisions of Protocol 4.
(3) The Joint Declaration concerning Protocol 4 specifies that products originating in Western Sahara which are subject
to controls by the customs authorities of the Kingdom of Morocco benefit from the same trade preferences as those
granted by the European Union to the products covered by the Association Agreement and that Protocol 4 applies
mutatis mutandis for the purposes of defining the originating status of these products, including with regard to proof
of origin, except as provided for in decisions of the Association Council.
(4) Within the framework of the agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the
Kingdom of Morocco on the amendment of Protocols 1 and 4 to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an
association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of
Morocco, of the other part, concluded on 3 October 2025.
(5) Protocol 4 should be amended in order to provide for the amendments necessary to ensure both its applicability to
products originating in Western Sahara and the continuation of trade, in particular for the fruit and vegetables sector
and the fisheries sector,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
A Title III is added to Protocol 4 to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European
Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of Morocco, of the other part, concerning the
definition of the concept of ‘originating products’ and methods of administrative cooperation:
‘Title III
Provisions on the Joint Declaration concerning the application of Protocols 1 and 4 to the Euro Mediterranean Agreement
establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom
of Morocco, of the other part
(1) OJ EU L 70, 18.3.2000, p. 2, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2000/204/oj.
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2026/242/oj 1/4EN
OJ L, 28.1.2026
Article 8
Exceptions to the application mutatis mutandis of Protocol 4
When applying the Convention and the transitional rules,
The terms “its vessels” and “its factory ships” in Title II of the Convention and in the transitional rules refer to a Member
State of the Union, Morocco or Western Sahara.
The provisions of Title III of the Convention and of the transitional rules shall not be affected by any working, processing or
modification in Morocco or consignments exported from Morocco to the Union.
The proofs of origin shall be completed as follows:
In the movement certificate EUR.1:
In box 2 “Certificate used in preferential trade between … and …”, a reference to the “Agreement in the form of an
Exchange of Letters between the EU and the Kingdom of Morocco on the amendment of Protocols 1 and 4 to the
Euro-Mediterranean Agreement of 3 October 2025” is to be entered.
Box 4 “Country, group of countries or territory in which the products are considered as originating” is to be left blank.
References to “Dakhla Oued Ed-Dahab” or “Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra”, as appropriate, are to be entered in Box 7 “Remarks”.
In the origin declaration, references to “Dakhla Oued Ed-Dahab” or “Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra”, as appropriate, are to be
entered in connection with footnote (2) of the annexes on the text of the origin declaration.’
Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.
It shall apply from 3 October 2025.
Done at Brussels, 3 October 2025.
For the Association Council
The President
N. BOURITA
2/4 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2026/242/ojEN
OJ L, 28.1.2026
ANNEX
Specimen of movement certificate EUR.1
1. Exporter (Name, address, country) EUR.1 No A 000.000
(No change)
See notes overleaf before completing this form.
2. Certificate used in preferential trade between
..........................................................
3. Consignee (Name, address, country)
(Optional) and
(No change) Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union
and the Kingdom of Morocco on the amendment of Protocols 1 and 4 to the
Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the
European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the
Kingdom of Morocco, of the other part
(Insert appropriate countries, groups of countries or territories)
4. Country, group of countries 5. Country, group of countries or territory of
or territory in which the destination
products are considered as
(No change)
originating
(Leave blank)
6. Transport details (Optional) 7. Remarks
(No change) Reference to the regional origin (Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra, Dakhla Oued Ed-Dahab)
8. Item number; Marks and numbers; Number and kind of 9. Gross mass (kg) or 10. Invoices (Optional)
packages1; other measure (litres,
(No change)
m3, etc.)
Description of goods2
(No change)
(No change)
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2026/242/oj 3/4EN
OJ L, 28.1.2026
Specimen of the origin declaration
English version
The exporter of the products covered by this document (customs authorisation No …(1)) declares that, except where
otherwise clearly indicated, these products are of preferential origin.
Reference to the regional origin (Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra, Dakhla Oued Ed-Dahab)(2).
............................................................................................
(Place and date)(3)
............................................................................................
(Signature of the exporter; in addition, the name of the person signing the declaration has to be indicated in clear script)(4)
(1) When the origin declaration is made out by an approved exporter, the authorisation number of the approved exporter
must be entered in this space. When the origin declaration is not made out by an approved exporter, the words in
brackets shall be omitted or the space left blank.
(2) Origin of products to be indicated. When the origin declaration relates, in whole or in part, to products originating in
Ceuta and Melilla, the exporter must clearly indicate them in the document on which the declaration is made out, by
means of the symbol ‘CM’.
(3) These indications may be omitted if the information is contained on the document itself.
(4) In cases where the exporter is not required to sign, the exemption of signature also implies the exemption of the name
of the signatory.
4/4 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2026/242/oj