Bartosz Mirowski, Giuseppe Adamo, Maciej Pawłowski
- Morocco aims for close cooperation with the EU, including through the expansion of infrastructure, energy links, and economic collaboration with Spain, France, and Portugal.
- Cooperation and potential integration with the EU are intended to help Morocco achieve its political goals, including gaining EU institutional support in disputes with Algeria. A key role is expected to be played by the co-hosting of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
- The construction of a tunnel connecting Spain with Morocco could significantly increase the flow of goods and people between Europe and Africa.
Relations with Europe
Morocco is the only country in Africa that has expressed aspirations to participate in European integration. In 1984, King Hassan II officially applied for accession to the European Communities, but in 1987 the application was rejected. With support from France and Spain, the so-called Barcelona Process was established in 1995, setting out broad principles for partnership between the EU and its Mediterranean neighborhood, including Morocco. Since 2008, the country has held the status of an “advanced partner” of the EU, allowing it to receive EU funds in exchange for implementing European standards in areas like human rights, freedom of speech, and the rule of law. Under the NDICI–Global Europe instrument for 2021–2027, the EU allocated €931 million in bilateral support for Morocco for the 2021–2024 period.
Morocco is strengthening its position as a key trade and investment partner of the EU in North Africa. The Union is the Kingdom’s main trade partner, accounting for over half of its trade, and the largest foreign investor in the country. In 2024, exports from the EU reached €35.3 billion (up 6.5% year-on-year), and imports €25.3 billion (up 7.5% year-on-year). Most French car brands are produced in the Tangier economic zone, and the banking sector is dominated by Spanish banks.
Morocco is an important but challenging EU partner in combatting illegal migration. In 1992, a Spanish-Moroccan migration agreement was signed to address the issue, although it only came into force in 2012. It provides for the expulsion of people who illegally cross the Spanish maritime border back to Moroccan territory. Between 2009 and 2024, nearly 40,000 Moroccan citizens illegally crossed the EU border. In the same period, over 350,000 migrants from various countries reached the EU via routes running through Morocco: the Western Mediterranean route (233,500) and the West African route to the Canary Islands (128,100).
A major event bringing Morocco closer to the EU is the 2030 FIFA World Cup, with matches to be held at 3 stadiums in South America, 1 in Portugal, 6 in Spain, and 6 in Morocco. The event is expected to boost tourism and improve Morocco’s international image.
Cooperation with the EU, especially with France, serves Morocco in its ambition to restore its pre-colonial borders. To this end, it has annexed part of Western Sahara and seeks international recognition of its sovereignty there. Algeria, which supports the Polisario Front, opposes this. Recognition of Moroccan sovereignty could open the door to claims over Algeria’s Tindouf and Tlemcen regions, the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla, the Canary Islands, and parts of Mauritania.
A problem in Morocco-EU relations is the 2023 corruption scandal, when Belgian police arrested MEPs who took bribes to lobby for Moroccan interests in the European Parliament.
Energy Connections
Morocco is expanding its energy infrastructure by modernizing gas pipelines and developing renewable energy sources (RES). A key element is the Maghreb–Europe Gas Pipeline (MEG), launched in 1996. Initially, it transported Algerian gas through Morocco and Gibraltar to Spain and Portugal. After the contract ended in 2021, Morocco began repurposing the infrastructure. Plans include connecting the LNG terminal in Nador to MEG, extending pipelines to Mohammedia and Kenitra, and using MEG for reverse-flow gas transport. Shell signed a 12-year deal to supply 0.5 billion m³ of LNG annually from Spain to Morocco.
Morocco is the only African country connected to the European electricity grid. Two undersea HVDC cables with a total capacity of 1.4 GW link it to Spain, and a third cable is planned. The system allows for two-way electricity flows – in 2023, Morocco imported 2.3 TWh and exported 0.5 TWh.
An ambitious project was the Xlinks Morocco–UK Power Project – a 3,800 km HVDC cable with 3.6 GW capacity that was to supply 8% of the UK’s electricity from Moroccan renewables. However, in 2025, the UK withdrew due to high costs and logistical complexity.
In 2023, Morocco generated 42.38 TWh of electricity. The energy mix was dominated by coal (64%), with gas accounting for 10%. By 2030, Morocco aims to raise the share of renewables from 21.7% to 52%. New LNG terminals and energy system stabilization support a smooth transition toward green energy.
For the past 7 years, Morocco has suffered from spring and summer droughts, significantly reducing livestock numbers. As a result, in 2025, King Mohammed VI banned sheep slaughter during Ramadan. Water scarcity hampers livestock farming, agriculture, industry, and mining and negatively affects sanitation. No solution has yet been found to export water from the EU to Morocco. Instead, the country is modernizing 17 existing desalination plants. Four more are under construction, and nine are planned – targeting a total of 1.7 billion m³/year by 2030.
Infrastructure Connections
The Strait of Gibraltar is a natural bottleneck between Europe and Africa. The idea of connecting the continents dates back to the 19th century. Spain is conducting a feasibility study for an undersea railway tunnel about 60 km long, connecting Punta Paloma and Tangier. The project envisions two railway tunnels totaling 38.5 km, with 27.7 km underwater, forming a key link in the Euro-Mediterranean network. In 2025, €1.6 million was allocated for the study. Initially, completion was planned before the 2030 World Cup, but it has now been postponed to 2040 due to implementation challenges and cost. Thirty years ago, the project was estimated at €13 billion; today, it may cost twice as much. According to Spanish company SECEGSA, the tunnel could serve up to 12.8 million passengers per year.
In aviation, connections are developing dynamically. Royal Air Maroc announced new flights to Zurich and Munich starting this September, increasing travel options between Morocco and Europe. European carriers like Iberia and Air France operate daily flights from Paris and Madrid to Casablanca, Tangier, and Marrakesh. In 2024, passenger numbers rose 21% year-on-year (32.7 million), and aviation industry export revenues rose 17.3%. The national carrier, under a government agreement, plans to expand its fleet from 50 to 200 aircraft by 2037. Under the “Airports 2030” strategy, Morocco launched a $2.8 billion investment program to increase annual passenger capacity from 30 to 80 million by the end of the decade. A key element is the construction of a new international airport in Casablanca, next to King Mohammed V Airport – the largest cargo hub.
According to the LSCI index measuring global shipping integration, Morocco ranks 5th among the best-connected Mediterranean countries (up 6.1% year-on-year). Over 96% of the country’s trade is maritime, and port infrastructure is the backbone of the logistics system. Port Tanger Med, the largest in Africa by cargo capacity, handles container and transshipment traffic on the Suez Canal route. Daily ferry and Ro-Ro connections play a key role in creating maritime logistics bridges. The ferry network is well-developed, with ships operating between Spanish ports (Algeciras, Almería, Motril) and Moroccan ports (Tangier Ville, Nador). The annual Operation Marhaba mobilizes around 32 ships on 11 routes, serving over 7 million passengers and 2 million vehicles. In 2024, Tanger Med handled 10.24 million TEU – an 18.9% increase from the previous year – confirming Morocco’s growing role as a key logistics hub.
Conclusions
Morocco is modernizing its energy links with Europe, increasing energy security and independence. It is effectively integrating renewables into its transmission infrastructure, laying the foundation for large-scale green energy exports. On water, the country aims for self-sufficiency through desalination supported by renewable energy.
The planned Gibraltar tunnel is a symbol of increasing EU-Africa integration in infrastructure. Morocco is developing all types of infrastructure (road, rail, air, sea), creating an integrated logistics system to support not only trade but also innovation, tourism, and energy security. This positions the country as a regional hub between the EU and Africa, integrating passenger and cargo markets and supporting trade and intercontinental connections.
Morocco is aligning infrastructure development with preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, treating the event as a catalyst for modernization and global exposure.
Infrastructure integration between the EU and Morocco brings mutual benefits. The EU gains a stable partner in North Africa and a gateway to sub-Saharan markets, while Morocco gains access to investment, technology, and European transport networks.
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