Brussels, 20/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission is helping Syria put in place a consumer information and protection policy and promote product quality. The Commission has announced that it is holding a specialist seminar, under the patronage of the minister of economy and trade and in cooperation with the ministries concerned, consumer protection associations, the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Industry and the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce in Damascus on 20 July. The seminar aims to review the consumer protection law adopted in Syria in 2008 and compare the provisions contained within this law with what is in force internationally.
There is already cooperation between the EU and Syria in this area, seeking to promote the development of local businesses and create an enabling regulatory environment. This cooperation, which began with the signing of the financial agreement on 27 December 2007, takes place within the Quality Programme among the main aims of which are preparing the Syrian economy to make the most of its foreign trade liberalisation agreement and to help it meet the challenge of free trade with the EU within the framework of the WTO. The programme has a budget of €12 million.
Until an EU-Syria association agreement is signed, relations between the parties remain governed by the cooperation agreement. (F.B./transl.rt)