Brussels, 14/07/2011 (Agence Europe) - The sixth round of negotiations between Algeria and the EU on reorganising the timetable for the tariff dismantling that ties in with implementation of the association agreement (see EUROPE 10417) will not be the last. The parties were unable to find agreement in particular on the agricultural chapter of the talks, it is being said in Brussels. The Algerian press says that Algeria is also arguing for a list of industrial goods not to be included in the dismantling of tariffs, including goods from the iron and steel, textile, electronic and motor car industries.
The association agreement provides for the gradual dismantling of tariffs for two lists of European goods imported into Algeria, with dismantling being complete for one by 2012 and for the other by 2020. At the end of 2010, however, Algeria requested that tariff dismantling be delayed until 2020. “The two parties agreed on Monday to continue negotiations at the start of September to try to reconcile the still divergent positions”, the APS agency reports. This information was confirmed by a European source in Brussels, where it is felt that, though progress is slow, the talks are making gradual headway. (F.B./transl.rt)