Brussels, 10/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - Meeting in Brussels on Thursday 10 June, EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht and Palestinian Minister of National Economy Hasan Abu-Libdeh agreed to continue to work towards a comprehensive package of measures aimed at facilitating Palestinian trade with other Euro-Mediterranean partners on a bilateral and regional basis by 2010. The European Commission is proposing to grant duty-free quota-free access for Palestinian exports to the EU. De Gucht and Abu-Libdeh also agreed to work towards the strengthening of the capabilities of the Palestinian administration with a view to future deepening of trade liberalisation in goods and services. They are also preparing to negotiate an agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products (ACAA) in selected sectors. The EU will also continue to support the Palestinian request to become an observer to the World Trade Organisation. “This is as a first step towards integration into the multilateral trading system and a key part of the state-building process,” De Gucht said.
The Palestinian Authority and the EU have concluded a Euro-Mediterranean Interim Association Agreement which has been in force since 1997. The agreement provides for duty-free access to EU markets for Palestinian industrial goods, and a phase-out of tariffs on EU exports to Palestine over five years. It also provides for gradual liberalisation for certain agricultural and fisheries products. A European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan was signed with the Palestinian Authority in 2004. This includes non-binding commitments in regulatory areas. The Palestinian Authority is the EU's smallest trading partner in the Mediterranean region, with total trade of €71 million in 2008. (E.H./transl.rt)