Participants - Premier Forum National Thématique du projet THAMM Plus

Supporting mobility of heavy vehicle drivers between Morocco and the European Union

The first National Thematic Forum on heavy vehicle drivers’ mobility under the EU-funded THAMM Plus project took place in Rabat on Feb 25-26, 2025, uniting key actors to promote professional mobility as a “triple win” for Morocco, the EU, and workers.

20 March 2025

Content also available in: français

National Technical Forum Report - Facilitating Mobility of Lorry and Bus Drivers between Morocco and the European Union - PDF 1.12 MB

Morocco (ILO News) - Europe is facing a critical shortage of heavy vehicle drivers due to an aging workforce and demanding working conditions. However, the recognition of this profession is complex, as it is highly regulated, with strict standards for training, certification, and road safety.

The National Thematic Forum (NTF) provided an opportunity to analyse obstacles and explore sustainable solutions for the recognition of certifications in general. The goal for this initiative is to serve as a model for other strategic sectors of the Talent Partnership, such as hospitality, construction, and agriculture.

Séance de Travaux du Groupe.jpg — Group Work Session

A Key Dialogue for Structuring Mobility Pathways

Organized in collaboration with the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITCILO), this first forum plays a crucial role facilitating dialogue between Moroccan and European stakeholders.

Its main objective is to identify and analyse the challenges related to the recognition of professional qualifications and skills between Morocco and the European Union, particularly for professions validated within the Talent Partnership, using Heavy Vehicle Drivers (HVD) as a concrete case study. The forum aimed to:

Identify the obstacles to the recognition of qualifications and skills between Morocco and EU member states, particularly for heavy vehicle drivers.
define key elements of a labour migration pathway that strengthens Morocco’s education and training system while facilitating integration and access to decent work for Moroccan workers in European countries.
develop and validate a technical action plan with realistic and effective measures to streamline certification processes and vocational training for heavy vehicle drivers.

© ILO

Forum Plenary Session

A Three-Phase National Thematic Forum

The Forum adopts a blended approach combining online sessions (webinars) and a face-to-face workshop.

In an initial preparatory phase, two webinars were held on January 22 and February 11, 2025, to identify key challenges and obstacles to professional mobility. These discussions focused on the recognition of Moroccan qualifications within the EU (CPC / FIMO), regulatory frameworks (lack of standardized recognition of Moroccan driving licenses in member states) and the migration process from candidate identification to socio-professional integration in the destination country.

Premier Forum National Thématique du projet THAMM Plus — Ms Nour ELamarti Director of International Cooperation and Partnership at MIEPEEC

In the second phase of the Forum, a face-to-face workshop was held in Rabat from February 25 to 26, 2025. It was opened by Ms Nour Elamarti, Director of International Cooperation and Partnership at the Ministry of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills, Mr Jean-Christophe Filori, Counsellor and Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation in Morocco, and Ms Aurelia Segatti, Focal Point of the International Labour Organization in Morocco.

This workshop brought together over 70 representatives from Moroccan and European public institutions (Ministries, diplomatic corps, Public Employment Services, etc.) and private-sector stakeholders (Transport Federations, employers, etc.).

Over two days, participants discussed concrete, operational solutions to facilitate certification recognition and the professional mobility of heavy vehicle drivers. The discussions covered

Identification, selection and administrative processes;
Vocational training in Morocco;
CPC/FIMO training and certification: solutions and advocacy on normative aspects;

Integration and working conditions in EU member countries.

The workshop led to:

Identifying the key stages and challenges of a mobility scheme for heavy vehicle drivers;
defining the key actions of an action plan aimed at establishing an effective labour mobility mechanism between Morocco and Europe for heavy vehicle drivers.

A third and final online phase of the Forum (follow up webinar), will be held on March 20, 2025, to review the operationalization of the action plan and its measures for the Heavy Vehicle Driver profession.

Ms Aurelia Segatti ILO — Ms Aurelia Segatti, Focal Point of the ILO in Morocco

At the end of the Forum, a concise study will be drawn up and published, proposing concrete, realistic avenues and recommendations tailored to the aspects identified and highlighted for the Heavy Vehicle Driver profession.

About THAMM PLUS

The THAMM Plus programme “EU Support to legal migration, mobility and skills partnerships with North of African countries” is a sub-regional programme, funded by the European Union (DG NEAR) and implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO) for a period of 48 months (2024-2027), which aims to strengthen the employability of potential migrant workers and regular and sustainable labour mobility pathways leading to decent work opportunities between Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and European Union member states.