The 43 countries of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), whose trade ministers met for the first time in eight years in Brussels on Monday 19 March, delivered fresh impetus to the economic integration of the Euro-Mediterranean region, agreeing, in particular, a set of modernised rules of origin for the region with the aim of finalising the text of the revision of the Pan-Euromed Convention on Rules of Origin by the end of 2018.
“A major breakthrough is our agreement on the substantial elements of the modernisation of the Pan-Euromed Convention on Rules of Origin. Nevertheless, work remains to be done. On technical requirements, SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) rules or IPR (intellectual property) protection”, stated Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, who jointly chaired the meeting with Jordanian Trade Minister Yarub Qudah.
The UfM countries also adopted two action plans, one on tackling piracy and counterfeiting and the other on sectoral cooperation (inter alia, in the automotive, textiles and clothing, environmental goods and services, and information and communication technology areas), and called for close collaboration with the private sector in implementing them.
Ministers acknowledged the positive framework for the development of economic relations in the region provided by the Euro-Mediterranean association agreements and other free-trade agreements, such as the Agadir Agreement – a prelude to a future Euro-Mediterranean free-trade area through an Arabic free-trade zone involving Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia – but they also acknowledged that there is still a great potential to be unlocked to reinforce and complete the Union for Mediterranean free-trade area.
They discussed initiatives, including setting up a regional working group on sanitary and phytosanitary cooperation and designing a roadmap for approximation of technical requirements which facilitate mutual trade and investment flows.
Lastly, ministers endorsed the new Euromed helpdesk, developed jointly by the European Commission and the International Trade Centre, which will provide up to date and free of charge information for businesses looking to export.
“Despite disagreements, and even some disputes in the region, not especially related to trade but which sometimes make it difficult to get people around the table, this latest meeting has been a great success in itself. Dialogue is the best way to tackle our shared challenges. I am very pleased to say that we made concrete progress on a number of issues and moved one step closer to unlocking the economic potential of this region through trade”, Malmström stated, hailing “the commitment of the member states of the EU, even in its northern area”.
She also welcomed the commitment shown by the UfM ministers to open global trade and their opposition to protectionism.
UfM trade ministers will meet again in 2019. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)