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The Economic, Social and Environmental Council has highlighted the condition of Morocco’s strategic fuel reserve system. According to its annual report, the council identified structural deficiencies that it claims require thorough reform to maintain supply continuity and enhance the nation’s resilience during emergencies.

The 2025 annual report from the Economic, Social and Environmental Council has pointed out structural flaws and weaknesses in Morocco’s strategic fuel reserve system, cautioning about possible threats to the country’s energy security due to unstable global markets and increasing supply chain disruptions. The Council recommended a complete reform of the system to enhance Morocco’s capacity to handle future emergencies.

The report, published on Tuesday, highlighted that petroleum-based fuels continue to play a key role in Morocco’s energy structure, making up 51% of the country’s energy supply in 2025. The overall usage of diesel, gasoline, and fuel oil reached approximately 12.8 million tons, with diesel comprising roughly 73% of the total. It is expected that demand will rise by almost 16% by 2030.

Although heavily dependent on this, Morocco has solely relied on imports of refined petroleum products since the Samir refinery stopped functioning in 2015, according to the Council’s warning, which highlighted that this situation has made the country more vulnerable to supply interruptions and changes in global prices.

The report also highlighted an absence of consistent and open data regarding reserve levels. The available statistics are released infrequently, without any formal system in place to guarantee ongoing disclosure. Current data mainly originates from past reports by the Court of Auditors and isolated official metrics, which have indicated that reserve levels have consistently fallen short of the legally mandated minimum of 60 days.

As per the Council, this absence of data complicates monitoring shifts in reserve amounts and diminishes transparency for economic actors and the public, contributing to uncertainty during a period when global supply chains are growing more vulnerable.

Morocco currently depends mainly on a system where private companies are in charge of establishing and maintaining required fuel reserves, without having a distinct public strategic stockpile. The report highlighted that international practices differ, with certain nations primarily depending on private entities, others on publicly operated reserves, and some utilizing mixed systems that combine both approaches.

Legislative and digital reforms

The Council observed that Morocco’s legal system regulating fuel reserves originates from 1971. It highlighted unclear guidelines on how the required storage amounts for importers are determined, along with confusion regarding whether responsibilities apply cumulatively to businesses involved in both importing and distributing fuel.

The report also highlighted that current penalties are not effective enough, pointing out that they have remained unchanged since 1973. Additional flaws exist in the oversight systems, as inspections frequently only involve checking inventory levels using periodic data, without consistently leading to official violation reports or the implementation of legally mandated punishments.

The Council also responded to increasing demands for more openness and worries about how storage regulations affect fuel costs. It emphasized that energy security involves making sure that people can obtain energy products at reasonable prices, cautioning that higher fuel expenses have both immediate and broader effects on living costs and buying capacity.

The report advocated for a complete revision of the legal system that regulates fuel reserves, suggesting more explicit guidelines regarding their goals, funding, activation, and supervision. It further proposed initiating a national discussion about establishing an integrated system that includes a public strategic reserve along with required stockpiles maintained by private companies.

The Council also called on authorities to enhance oversight using advanced digital technologies, establish a team of official inspectors, and implement harsher penalties. It further suggested reviewing if a portion of operators’ profit margins could be used to increase storage capacity, while streamlining licensing and land access processes, directing funds to underdeveloped areas, and promoting more effective storage methods.