countries recommended that the Permanent Consulative Committee should hold the necessary meetings to study the measures to promote the
economic co-ordination of the sectors where this co-ordination is possible at the present time.
In the field of mining and energy, the Ministers asked the Commi¬
ttee to prepare for them the suggestions for co-ordination.
The Ministers decided in this conference to establish a "Centre of Industrial Studies"
(2)
at Tripoli.So far as the trade relations are concerned, the
Ministers
askedthe Permanent Committee to put the basis and the condition of a multi¬
lateral system of privilege trade relations between the four countries.
In addition, the Consulative Committee should organise meetings
of the national organisations of the Maghreb countries, in order to
achieve co-OrdinStion in the' field of tourism, communication, post and
telecommunication,-aiso,
in manpower and financing of development.In a third meeting
(3),
the Ministers of the national economy en¬gaged the Consulative Committee in studying the questions concerning
the co-ordination of participating in the national and international
fairs
(exhibitions)
and asked the Commitlee_to prepare a study on theco-ordination of insurance among the participating countries.
In this conference, a "Maghreb Committee for co-ordination of post and communications"
(4),
was established, and it was consideredas a special commission of the Permanent Consulative Committee.
(ï)
"Protocole de Tangier" 26-27 November 1964,(2)
Centre d'Etudes Industrielles(3)
"Protocole de Tripoli" 25-27 mai 1965(4)
Comité Maghrébin de co-ordination des Postes et CommunicationsIDEP/ET/2340
Page 99
Another Commission "Commission for Trade Relations"
(ï)
wascharged with preparing a project aiming at :
1 - The harmonization of the export of agricultural products
in common among the four countries.
2 - Creation of a special "body for each product,
3 - The suggestion of an organization for common implementa¬
tion of the agreement.
4 - Taking into consideration foreign trade relations existing
for each of the four Maghreb countries and their economic policies.
In this Conference, the Ministers adopted the recommendations of
the special commissions entrusted with the studies of the systems of statistics and national accounting in the Maghreb countries, and put
a work program for these Commissions.
In their fourth meeting, the Ministers decided that the Permanent
Consultative Committee, and the Secretariat be situated in Tunis. Thus,
the delegations of the Committee and the Secretariat can carry on their
work continuously and permanently in that capital.
So far as the matters of trade are concerned, the Ministers de¬
manded that the Committee should examine the obstacles which hinder the development of the inter-Maghreb trade,, and asked the Committee to
submit to their next meeting projects of decisions for the development
of these trade relations.
(1)
Commission de Relations Commerciales.The Ministers adopted the reports of the Permanent Committee on the issues of Tourism, National Accounting
and Statistics, and Trans¬
ports and Communications. Indeed, the co-ordination in these three
domains is beginning to be applied.
The Consultative Committee was asked to examine thorough?y the
industrial co-ordination issues.
(1)
b. Co-ordination of Transport
The crucial role which transport can play in the process of
economic development need hardly be emphasized. Transport ejrlarges
the market, thus offering industries an optimum scale, and promotes specialization. It helps the exploitation of additional resources, and leads to the expansion of related industries and other economic
activities. In the social and cultural fields, transport generates
a process which helps in transforming the traditional and sociologi¬
cal structure which constitute one of the most intricate obstacles
to economic development in the developing areas.
It has been mentioned before that the rail network and the road system in the Maghreb countries, are relatively more developed than in parts of Africa. Nevertheless the tempo of economic development in
this area needs the co-ordination of the national transport networks,
the modernization and indeed the expansion of different means of transport.
The co-ordination and the development of transport in the Maghreb countries.occupied an important place in the discussions and arrange¬
ments made by the authorities in charge of creating the Maghreb
Economic Community.
The outcome of the recommendations and studies of the Council of
Ministers, the Permanent Consultative Committee of the Maghreb, the Maghreb Committee for air transport, the heads of the national air companies of the four countries, and other air transport exports was as followss
(ï)
See a detailed exposition of these Protocoles of Agreement, in Textes Fondamentaux Des Institutions Maghrébines, Les ProtocoleD'accords,
Comité
Permanent Consultatif Du Maghreb, Secretariat,Tunis,IDEP/ET/2340
Page 101
AIR TRANSPORT
The Creation of a Maghreb Air Company s
It was agreed upon to establish a single Maghreb Air
Company
similar in form to that of the "S„A.S." It will be a syndicate of
national enterprises with the- trbjerct of exploiting the network which
each company alone cannot, according to its means,
exploit properly.
The company is to be entitled "Air Maghreb" and would be entrusted
with the development .of the international network of its partner companies. This suggestion was put forward for agreement by the res¬
pective governments. The Directors of the Rational Air Companies were to meet in January 1968 to find out the means for putting these
principles into practice.
It should be pointed out that the head of the Maghreb Committee of
Air Transport should submit the plan of studies to the member countries
two months or more before each session. If one considers - ..
that these studies require, according to the advice of the Delegates, a
period of two years, one can view with satisfaction the firm desire of
the C.M.T.A. to achieve the establishment of "Air Maghreb" as soon as possible. The next meeting of the Maghreb Committee of Air Transport
will most probably take place in January 1969»
0)
2 - The project for Industrial Concentration in Algeirs ;
An industrial concentration should be located at Algiers with a View to carrying out major maintenance on air-craft of the Maghreb Air¬
lines. This Industrial Center should be sponsored by Air Algeria and managed by them while awaiting the take-over of responsibility by Air-Maghreb. The stock of replacement materials of the Air Algeria
■aeroplanes should be put at the disposal of the Maghreb Air Companies,
until their equipment has passed all the inspection tests.
(ï)
See Rapport Sur la Co-ordination Maghrebine Dans le Domaine Des Transports et Communications, Comité Permanent Consultatif Du Maghreb, Secretariat, Tunis, le 15 Février1968.
Air Algeria has decided, to put this project into action and to proceed with the negotiations for the necessary equipment and invest¬
ments. It has also agreed to recruit manpower and specialists mainly
from the Maghreh countries. In this respect the requirements are
approximately 150 personnel of which
80
may be recruited from Algeria.3 - Verification of Navigation aids in Flight ï
The Maghreb Commission for Transport and Communications has recom¬
mended the establishment of a team of experts to study the establish¬
ment of a Maghreb service for the verification of
aeronautical installa¬
tions in flight. This task is at present entrusted in Algeria, Morocco
and Tunisia to a French Civil Aviation organization. The group of experts, however, who was appointed to study the matter, met on the
1st and 2nd of March 1967 at Casablanca and agreed upon hiring an
aeroplane laboratory for the verification of aeronautical installations
in flight, the cost of which would come from the combined account of
the four countries. The acquisition of each laboratory would make an economy of
15%
of every flying hour made under normal conditions.Two proposals were put forward s
a)
The Management of the aeroplane laboratory should be under¬taken by a national air company with the participation of
the fcur countries in the technical sphere s
b)
The creation of a joint Organisation which would take chargeof the aeroplane laboratory and its equipment, technicians and pilots, as well as the running of the Laboratory itself. Some
extra duties could be included in this service
(ï)
(ï)
Algeria intended to obtain an aeroplane Laboratory, and to be responsible for its functions and maintenance. The other threecountries were under obligation not to avail themselves of the
services of the Aeroplane Laboratory until its equipment was found to conform to the required international standards. The countries would supply the necessary personnel for the Aviation Laboratory.
It is noted that the CKTA considered that the project might well
be carried into effect as from January
1969•
The fixing of thisdate could truly be considered a vitally important step forward by the C.M.T.A. See Rapport sur le co-ordination ... up.cit.pp.2-4.
IDEP/ET/2340
Page 103
4 - Other Measures of Co-ordination s
(a)
Granting of the necessary traffic rightsto the Maghreb
countries for the establishment of air links between the four countries» In order to harmonize operations and pro¬
mote close collaboration between the. Maghreb countries the
Commission of Air Transport considers it expedient for agree¬
ments of the general agent and pool type to be concluded
(b)
Regrouping of commercial agencies existing or being createdabroad and where applicable the possible establishment of
new joint agencies.
(c)
The granting of priority for chartering on equal terms tothe Maghreb Airlines.
(d)
The maximum simplification of entrance, exit, and transit formalities, particularly fornationals of Maghreb
countries
(ï).
(e)
One representative would represent the four countries on theCouncil of I.C.A.O., and such representation rotates among them.
5 - Organisation of Air Traffic Services ;
The Committee of Air Transport made the following recommenda¬
tion in order to facilitate the routi g of both aviation and
meteorological information between the different telecommunications
centres :
(a)
The study of an upper flight information regions.(b)
The commencement of operations on the East-West airroute in the shortest possible time.
(ï)
The Air Commission, noting the O.A.TJ. decision regarding theestablishment of links between the Maghreb and other African countries, support in principle the opening of these links when¬
ever required operation conditions are met : See Economic Co¬
operation in North Africa,
E/CN.14/NA/ECOP.3.
(c)
The Fourth air Navigation Plan for the African-IndianOcean Region should he put into effect as soon as possible,
in particular by establishing the Tripoli and
Tunis-Rome radio-tele-printer links.
6 - Research, Rescue, and Aeronautical information service ;
The Maghreb countries should combine their efforts in this field, and make the necessary studies to establish an overall plan
for the S.A.R. service, a protocole of mutual assistance, and all
relevant physical arrangements, and also concerning the acquisi¬
tion of aeronautical equipment.
To reduce expenditure and to co-ordinate the services and activities in the four countries, a study of the establishment of
a ^oint aeronautical information service for the four Maghreb