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Euro-Mediterranean trade relations are healthy and growing
Trade growth has been strengthened by the Euro-Mediterranean partnership. Launched in 1995, the partnership aims to establish a common area of peace, stability, and shared prosperity in the Mediterranean region (the 'Barcelona Process').
One important objective is the creation of a Mediterranean free trade area by 2010, with substantially liberalised trade both between the EU and the Mediterranean region, and between the Southern Mediterranean countries themselves. The launch of the European neighbourhood policy in 2004 moved this process a big step forward.

The Euro-Mediterranean partnership was established by the 1995 'Barcelona declaration'
Trade in goods :
- Exports: €67 billion
- Imports: €60 billion
- Investment stocks: €190 million
- Total exports to the EU have grown by an average 10% a year since 2000
- Imports from the EU have increased by 4% since 2000
- Total trade with the EU was €127bn in 2007 – some 5% of total EU external trade.
Euromed countries and their trade statistics:
Bilateral EU–Mediterranean relations
Apart from Syria, every Mediterranean country in the Euro-Mediterranean partnership has concluded Association Agreements with the EU:
| Country | Status | Date signed | Entry into Force | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | Signed | April 2002 | September 2005 | OJ L 265 |
| Egypt | Signed | June 2001 | June 2004 | COM (2001) 184 final |
| Israel | Signed | Nov 1995 | June 2000 | OJ L 147 |
| Jordan | Signed | Nov 1997 | May 2002 | OJ L 129/02 |
| Lebanon | Signed | June 2002 | Interim Agreement March 2003 | COM (2002) 170 final |
| Morocco | Signed | Feb 1996 | March 2000 | OJ L 70/00 |
| Palestinian Authority | Signed | Feb 1997 | Interim Agreement July 1997 | OJ L 187/97 |
| Syria | Initialled (December 2009) | |||
| Tunisia | Signed | July 1995 | March 1998 | OJ L 97/98 |
| Turkey | Customs Union January 1996 | Customs Union | Customs Union | OJ L 35/96 |
Associated countries enjoy duty free access to the EU market for manufactured goods and preferential treatment for exports of agricultural, processed agricultural and fisheries products. Tariffs will gradually be dismantled for EU exports to the Mediterranean region – the process has already been completed in Tunisia.
The objective is substantially liberalised trade in goods and services between the EU and its Mediterranean partners, who already enjoy very open access to EU services markets. Further progress, including attracting new investment to the region, is being negotiated.
Euro-Mediterranean trade relations will focus on bringing the Mediterranean partners' regulatory procedures closer to EU rules, to facilitate access to the EU market and remove non-tariff barriers to trade.
Regional integration
Another key goal is regional economic integration between the different Mediterranean countries, which have one of the lowest levels of regional integration in the world. Only 5% of trade is with neighbouring economies.
The Mediterranean region is already working to strengthen mutual trade relations:
- the 2007 Agadir Free Trade Agreement between Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, and Egypt remains open to other countries in the region
- Israel and Jordan have signed a Free Trade Agreement
- Egypt, Israel, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, Syria and Tunisia have signed bilateral agreements with Turkey.
- Negotiations are underway between other Mediterranean countries to establish similar agreements.
Technical assistance
The Mediterranean region receives considerable funding from the EU. Since the first MEDA programme was launched in 1995 – to provide financial and technical assistance for implementation of the Association Agreements and key social and economic reforms – some €20bn of EU funding has been allocated to bilateral and regional projects:
- MEDA I (1995-99): €3.4 billion
- MEDA II (2000-06): €5.3 billion
- €12 billion has been allocated by the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) for 2007-13.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the other important source of funding for the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. EU allocations to the EIB were:
- €4.8 billion for 1995-99
- €6.4 billion for 2000-07, plus €1 million for transnational projects
The creation in 2002 of the facility for Euro-Mediterranean investment and partnership (FEMIP) boosted the EIB's activities in the Mediterranean, with an annual credit reserve of €2bn to support the private sector.
Bilateral relations
Trade relations with key trading partners
Facts, figures, latest developments and archives.
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