Brussels, 30/11/2012 (Agence Europe) -Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht has announced that free-trade negotiations will be opened in the course of the next few months with two of the four Arab partners identified in the Mediterranean region.
De Gucht briefed EU trade ministers meeting in Brussels on 29 November of progress in preparations for free-trade negotiations with four of the Arab countries in the Euro-Mediterranean area - Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia.
In the immediate aftermath of the Arab Spring at the start of 2011, the European Council of December 2011 took the decision to authorise negotiations and adopted negotiating mandates with a view to creating deep and comprehensive free-trade areas with these four countries. The aim was to update the Euro-Mediterranean association agreements in order to improve market access and the investment climate and to provide support for the economic reforms being undertaken in these countries, while remaining mindful of the specific circumstances obtaining in each of them.
Progress made thus far in terms of the scoping exercises to define the extent and level of ambition of the hoped-for agreements paves the way, at the moment, for the launch of negotiations “in the course of the coming weeks and months” with Morocco and Tunisia, De Gucht announced on Thursday. On the recommendation of the Commission, the Council trade policy committee gave the go-ahead on 14 November to the opening of talks with Morocco. A further bilateral meeting will be necessary before reaching the same point with Tunisia. Preparatory talks are continuing with Egypt and Jordan. Cypriot minister Neoklis Sylikiotis said on Thursday that he was working hard to take forward discussions on an issue that is one of the priorities of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of Ministers. (EH/transl.fl)