For Immediate Release July 22, 2003 Contact: (202) 289-7460 Coalition of Service Industries Lauds Morocco Caucus Launch (Washington, DC) The Coalition of Service Industries (CSI) today welcomed the launch of the Morocco Congressional Caucus, which is supporting the free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between the United States and Morocco launched in January of this year. "CSI and its member companies strongly support this agreement," said Bob Vastine, President of CSI. "We expect the FTA to provide commercially meaningful market access for services, including audiovisual services, education services, energy services, express delivery services, financial services, legal services, and professional services." "We believe the Moroccan negotiations must be based on the negative list approach, as have all US services trade agreements except GATS and the Jordan FTA," Vastine said. "This is necessary because the negative list approach to scheduling best assures diversified services companies wishing to invest and do business in Morocco that their activities - unless specifically excluded - will be included in the coverage of the FTA." Commitments to transparency in domestic regulation, licensing and judicial and arbitral proceedings will be crucial to the Agreement. A transparent and fair regulatory system is a precondition for the liberalization of trade in services, and CSI has emphasized the need for the Morocco FTA, like others currently under negotiation, to contain strong disciplines to promote transparency. "This is good for both the United States and Morocco because it opens up opportunities for increased trade in services, and for increased foreign investment," Vastine added. "The FTA will enhance and solidy the reforms Morocco is already enacting." # # # # # CSI is the leading business organization dedicated to reducing barriers to U.S. services exports and mobilizing support for domestic U.S. policies, including tax policies, which enhance the global competitiveness of its members. CSI was formed in 1982 to ensure that U.S. trade in services would become a central goal of U.S. trade policy and trade negotiations. It played a major role in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and in the advocacy effort leading to the 1997 World Trade Organization (WTO) Basic Telecommunications and Financial Services Agreements. CSI’s knowledge of the process of services trade negotiations, its ties to the WTO and its network of relationships with governments and industry in other countries are unmatched. For a complete list of CSI members, visit our website at www.uscsi.org.