House of Representatives Unanimously Adopts Four Government Bills and Closes Second Legislative Session of the 2021-2022 Legislative Year
The House of Representatives adopted unanimously, on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, four Government bills, two of which are related to competition while the other two cover mariculture. The adoption occurred during a legislative plenary sitting chaired by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami, with the participation of the Minister of Economy and Finance, Ms. Nadia Fettah Alaoui, and the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, Waters and Forests, Mr. Mohamed Sadiki.
The House adopted by unanimity of votes Government Bill 40.21 amending and supplementing Law 104.12 on freedom of prices and competition, which aims to clarify and detail the procedures and measures related to anti-competitive practices. The Bill also seeks to consolidate the efficiency of actions, entrench the protection of the rights of other parties, and improve the system of control in economic concentration operations.
The Representatives also adopted by unanimity of votes Government Bill 41.21 amending and supplementing Law 20.13 on the Competition Council. The Bill aims to reinforce the impartiality of the Council as an independent constitutional body and to improve and detail the measures of referral to the Council.
The two Bills converge in their intention of advancing the business climate, consolidating investment attraction, protecting consumers, enhancing the purchasing power of citizens and social welfare, and establishing good governance and the rule of law in the economic area.
During the same sitting, the House adopted by unanimity of votes Government Bill 84.21 on mariculture and Government Bill 85.21 amending and supplementing Law 52.09 on the creation of the National Mariculture Development Agency. The two Bills are part of the imperative and importance of engaging in FAO's strategic framework for more efficient, comprehensive, resilient, and sustainable agricultural and food systems.
The two Bills aim to provide mariculture with a modern and unique legal framework to acknowledge its particular identity and legal status that differs from maritime fishing. The Bills also aim to ensure legal stability, guarantee transparency, and grant investors a clear vision.
The two Bills have brought novelties that grant the sector the first definition of mariculture, adopt a legal basis for incentives and State financing, integrate a sectorial planning approach in mariculture, consolidate evaluation and environment protection measures, and create the National Council for Aquamarine Creatures Farming.
Following that, the House of Representatives held a plenary sitting to close the second session of the first legislative year of the 11th legislative term, following Article 65 of the Constitution and Rule 19 of the Rules of Procedure of the House. During the sitting, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami presented the record of the House in that period.