Euro-Mediterranean free trade area

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The European Union-Mediterranean Free Trade Area (EU-MED FTA, EMFTA), also called the Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area or Euromed FTA, is based on the Barcelona Process and European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The Barcelona Process, developed after the Barcelona Conference in successive annual meetings, is a set of goals designed to lead to a free trade area in the Mediterranean Region and the Middle East.

Contents

A Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential Rules of Origin was signed in June 2011 to allow identical rules of origin across the region. The convention covers the EU, the EFTA, the EU customs unions with third states (Turkey, Andorra, San Marino), the EU candidate states, the partners of the Barcelona Process and possibly at a later stage all of the European Neighbourhood Policy partners. [1] The convention was in force from May 2012 and is the last step taken in the Barcelona Process so far.

History

The Agadir Agreement of 2004 (FTA between Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt) was seen as its first building block. Further steps were envisioned into the European Neighbourhood policy (ENP) Action plans negotiated between the European Union and the partner states on the southern shores of the Mediterranean Sea, mostly with Arab League member states.

The initial aim was to create a matrix of Free Trade Agreements between each of the partners and the others. Then a single free trade area was to be formed, including the European Union.

Partners

Prospective partners

FTA progress

EU associated
Other Barcelona Conference partners
Prospective partners
EU
Morocco
PA
GCC
EU FTA 1973 CU 1996 AA 2000 AA 2005 AA 1998 AA 2004 AA 2002 AA 2006 AA AA 2000 AA 1997 FTA
EFTA FTA 1973 FTA 1992 FTA 1999 FTA 2005 FTA 2002 FTA 2005 FTA 1993 FTA 1999
Turkey CU CU 1996 FTA 1992 FTA 2004 FTA 2005 FTA 2006 FTA 2009 FTA 2010 FTA 2004 FTA 1997 FTA 2005
Morocco AA 2000 FTA 1999 FTA 2004 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005
Algeria AA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005
Tunisia AA 1998 FTA 2005 FTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005
Egypt AA 2004 FTA 2006 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005
Jordan AA 2002 FTA 2002 FTA 2009 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005
Lebanon AA 2006 FTA 2005 FTA 2010 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 FTA 2002, GAFTA 2005
Syria AA FTA 2004 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005
Israel AA 2000 FTA 1993 FTA 1997 CU 1994
PA AA 1997 FTA 1999 FTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 CU 1994 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005
Libya GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005
GCC FTA GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005
Mauritania
Iraq GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 FTA 2002, GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005
  instrument and year of entry into force
  instrument and year of provisional entry into force
  in negotiations
  no diplomatic relations with Israel

See also

References

General overviews
More specific studies
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