Brussels, 22/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has concluded the negotiations with Tunisia on the improvement of agricultural concessions in the context of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement.
The new agreement provides for a considerable effort on the part of Tunisia through liberalisation of farm trade with the European Union, mainly concerning the seed oils and cereals sectors. The EU, however, confirms a concession on olive oil, the main farm export product from Tunisia which represents a source of income for one third of the country's population. The agreement comes within the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement, concluded in 1995 with Tunisia, which provides for revision of the agricultural chapter in the aim of completing greater liberalisation of farm trade and fixing the regime applicable as of 1 January 2001. Tunisia is the first of the three countries with which the EU has concluded negotiations. "The EU hopes the negotiations with Israel and Morocco may be concluded in the same constructive and positive spirit as that which reigned during negotiations with Tunisia. The official Commission proposal to Council for the adoption of this agreement by the Member States will be made in coming days", stressed Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler.