Brussels, 20/10/2004 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday, the European Commission and Syria finally concluded negotiations on an association agreement. The text, which was initialled on Tuesday, has yet to be approved at political level in Syria and by the Member States. Once this has happened, it will be signed. The European Commission thus completes the series of association agreements with the countries of the Mediterranean basin. Negotiations of this agreement have long foundered over the problems encountered by Syrian companies in trying to face up to major internal reforms and the prospect of having to confront competition from their European counterparts. A final political obstacle lay in the wording of a specific clause against the use and dissemination of WMD (weapons of mass destruction), and towards the end of the process, the subject was discussed more by the 25 than between them and Syria, before finding wording that was acceptable to all. EUROPE will come back in more detail.