regular political and security dialogue to foster mutual understanding, cooperation and common initiatives;
economic, trade and financial cooperation, including:
- the progressive liberalisation of trade in goods;
- the facilitation of trade in services and the movement of capital to achieve liberalisation as soon as conditions are met;
- the sustainable development of the Mediterranean region; and
- regional integration;
social, cultural and educational cooperation, notably through intercultural dialogue, migration control, skills development, promotion of labour law or gender equality.

The decisions conclude the agreements on behalf of the EU.

KEY POINTS

Euro-Mediterranean partnership

The agreement between the EU and the southern Mediterranean countries are based on the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership.
This political, economic and social partnership is based on the principles of reciprocity, solidarity and co-development.

The Partnership was replaced in 2008 by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM).

UfM’s mission is to enhance regional cooperation, dialogue and the implementation of projects and initiatives with tangible impact on citizens, with an emphasis on young people and women, to address the 3 strategic objectives of the region:
- stability;
- human development; and
- integration.
in the area of trade, the UfM promotes:
- enhanced trade relations among its members;
- reduced barriers to trade;
- regional integration initiatives; and
- greater business cooperation.
The EU has association agreements with all of the partners with the exception of Libya.
An agreement with Syria has been drafted but not signed.

Scope

Each agreement is adapted to the specificities of the non-EU country concerned. However, they all share in principle the same basic structure covering:

political dialogue;
free movement of goods;
establishment of services;
payments, capital, competition and other economic measures;
economic cooperation;
cooperation in social and cultural matters;
cooperation on environmental protection;
financial cooperation;
institutional and general rules.

Objectives

The bilateral agreements all share a number of goals in particular:

encouraging intra-regional cooperation of the Mediterranean countries, as a factor of peace, stability, economic and social development;
establishing a free trade area.

Establishing a free trade area

The agreements set out the basis for establishing a free trade area in the Mediterranean in compliance with World Trade Organisation rules.
A free trade area must be established after a transitional period of 12 years following the entry into force of the agreements.
Free movement of goods between the EU and the Mediterranean countries must result from:
- gradual elimination of customs duties;
- the prohibition of quantitative restrictions on exports and imports (with exceptions in certain cases), as well as all measures having equivalent or discriminatory effect between the parties.
The parties reaffirm their commitments under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).
The non-EU country partners must achieve full liberalisation of the capital sector as soon as sufficient conditions are in place.
A dispute settlement mechanism needs to be gradually put in place.

Institutional arrangements

The agreements set up an institutional structure including:

an Association Council, organised at ministerial level, which takes decisions and makes recommendations so that fixed objectives can be attained,
an Association Committee which manages the agreement and settles differences regarding its application and interpretation.

DATE OF ENTRY INTO FORCE

Association agreements came into force on the following dates:

1 July 1997 — Interim agreement with Palestine*
1 March 2000 — Morocco
1 June 2000 — Israel
1 May 2002 — Jordan
1 June 2004 — Egypt
1 September 2005 — Algeria
1 April 2006 — Lebanon
1 March 1998 — Tunisia.

BACKGROUND

Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (European Commission).

MAIN DOCUMENTS

Council Decision 2006/356/EC of 14 February 2006 concerning the conclusion of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Community and its Member States of the one part, and the Republic of Lebanon, of the other part (OJ L 143, 30.5.2006, p. 1)

Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Lebanon, of the other part — Protocol 1 concerning arrangements applicable to imports into the Community of agricultural products originating in Lebanon referred to in Article 14(1) — Protocol 2 concerning arrangements applicable to imports into Lebanon of agricultural products originating in the Community referred to in Article 14(2) — Protocol 3 on trade between Lebanon and the Community in processed agricultural products referred to in Article 14(3) — Protocol 4 concerning the definition of the concept originating products and methods of administrative cooperation — Protocol 5 on mutual administrative assistance in customs matters (OJ L 143, 30.5.2006, pp. 2-188)

Successive amendments to the agreement have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

Council Decision 2005/690/EC of 18 July 2005 on the conclusion of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, of the other part (OJ L 265, 10.10.2005, p. 1)

Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, of the other part — Annexes — Protocols — Final Act — Declarations (OJ L 265, 10.10.2005, pp. 2-228)

See consolidated version.

Council Decision 2004/635/EC of 21 April 2004 concerning the conclusion of a Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, of the other part (OJ L 304, 30.9.2004, p. 38)

Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, of the other part — Protocols — Final Act — Declarations Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the Community and Egypt concerning imports into the Community of fresh cut flowers and flowers and flower buds falling within subheading 0603 10 of the Common Customs Tariff (OJ L 304, 30.9.2004, pp. 39-208)

See consolidated version.

Council and Commission Decision 2002/357/EC,ECSC of 26 March 2002 on the conclusion of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, of the other part (OJ L 129, 15.5.2002, pp. 1-2)

Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, of the other part — Protocol 1 concerning the arrangements applicable to the importation into the Community of agricultural products originating in Jordan — Protocol 2 concerning the arrangements applicable to the importation into Jordan of agricultural products originating in the Community — Protocol 3 concerning the definition of the concept of ‘originating products’ and methods of administrative cooperation — Protocol 4 on mutual assistance between administrative authorities in customs matters — Joint Declarations — Final Act (OJ L 129, 15.5.2002, pp. 3-176)

See consolidated version.

Decision of the Council and the Commission 2000/384/EC, ECSC of 19 April 2000 on the conclusion of a Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part and the State of Israel, of the other part (OJ L 147, 21.6.2000, pp. 1-2)

Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the State of Israel, of the other part — Protocol 1 concerning the arrangements applicable to the importation into the Community of agricultural products originating in Israel — Protocol 2 concerning the arrangements applicable to the importation into Israel of agricultural products originating in the Community — Protocol 3 concerning plant protection matters — Protocol 4 concerning the definition of ‘originating products’ and methods of administrative cooperation — Protocol 5 on mutual assistance between administrative authorities in customs matters — Joint Declarations — Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters concerning outstanding bilateral issues — Agreement in the form of an Exchange of letters relating to Protocol 1 and concerning imports into the Community of fresh cut flowers and flower buds falling within subheading 0603 10 of the Common Customs Tariff — Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters regarding the implementation of the Uruguay Round Agreements — Declarations by the European Community — Declaration by Israel (OJ L 147, 21.6.2000, pp. 3-172)

See consolidated version.

Council and Commission Decision 2000/204/EC, ECSC of January 26 2000 on the conclusion of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of Morocco, of the other part (OJ L 70, 18.3.2000, p. 1)

Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of Morocco, of the other part — Protocol 1 on the arrangements applying to imports into the Community of agricultural products originating in Morocco — Protocol 2 on the arrangements applying to imports into the Community of fishery products originating in Morocco — Protocol 3 on the arrangements applying to imports into Morocco of agricultural products originating in the Community — Protocol 4 concerning the definition of originating products and methods of administrative cooperation — Protocol 5 on mutual assistance in customs matters between the administrative authorities — Final Act — Joint Declarations — Agreements in the form of an Exchange of Letters — Declaration by the Community — Declarations by Morocco (OJ L 70, 18.3.2000, pp. 2-204)

See consolidated version.

Decision of the Council and the Commission 98/238/EC, ECSC of 26 January 1998 on the conclusion of a Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Tunisia, of the other part (OJ L 97, 30.3.1998, p. 1)

Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Tunisia, of the other part — Protocol No 1 on the arrangements applying to imports into the Community of agricultural products originating in Tunisia — Protocol No 2 on the arrangement applying to imports into the Community of fishery products originating in Tunisia — Protocol No 3 on the arrangements applying to imports into Tunisia of agricultural products originating in the Community — Protocol No 4 concerning the definition of originating products and methods of administrative cooperation — Protocol No 5 on mutual assistance in customs matters between the administrative authorities — Joint Declarations — Declarations (OJ L 97, 30.3.1998, pp. 2-183)

See consolidated version.

Council Decision 97/430/EC of 2 June 1997 concerning the conclusion of the Euro-Mediterranean Interim Association Agreement on trade and cooperation between the European Community, of the one part, and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) for the benefit of the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (OJ L 187, 16.7.1997, pp. 1-2)

Euro-Mediterranean Interim Association Agreement on trade and cooperation between the European Community, of the one part, and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) for the benefit of the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, of the other part — Protocol 1 on the arrangements applying to imports into the Community of agricultural products originating in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip — Protocol 2 on the arrangements applying to imports into the West Bank and the Gaza Strip of agricultural products originating in the Community — Protocol 3 concerning the definition of the concept of ‘originating products’ and methods of administrative cooperation — Final Act — Joint Declarations — Declaration by the European Community (OJ L 187, 16.7.1997, pp. 3-135)

See consolidated version.

* This designation should not be construed as a recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of Member States on this issue.

last update 27.03.2020

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