Euro-Mediterranean free trade area

The European Union-Mediterranean Free Trade Area (EU-MED FTA, EMFTA), also called the Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area or Euromed FTA, is based on the Barcelona Process and European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The Barcelona Process, developed after the Barcelona Conference in successive annual meetings, is a set of goals designed to lead to a free trade area in the Mediterranean Region and the Middle East by 2010.

A Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential Rules of Origin was signed in June 2011 to allow identical rules of origin across the region.[1] The convention was in force from May 2012 and is the last step taken in the Barcelona Process so far.

History

The Agadir Agreement of 2004 (FTA between Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt) is seen as its first building block. Further steps are envisioned into the ENP Action plans negotiated between the European Union and the partner states on the southern shores of the Mediterranean Sea, mostly with Arab League member states.

The initial aim is to create a matrix of Free Trade Agreements between each of the partners and the others. Then a single free trade area is to be formed, including the European Union.

Partners

European Union
Turkey (maintains a Customs Union with the EU)
Morocco (member of the Arab League and the Arab Maghreb Union)
Algeria (member of the Arab League and the Arab Maghreb Union)
Tunisia (member of the Arab League and the Arab Maghreb Union)
Egypt (member of the Arab League)
Jordan (member of the Arab League)
Lebanon (member of the Arab League)
Israel
Palestinian National Authority (Member of the Arab League)

Prospective partners

Syria (Member of the Arab League)
Libya (member of the Arab League and the Arab Maghreb Union)
Gulf Cooperation Council
Iraq (Member of the Arab League)
Mauritania (member of the Arab League and the Arab Maghreb Union)

FTA Progress

	EU associated			Other Barcelona Conference partners									Prospective partners
	EU	EFTA	Turkey CU	Morocco	Algeria	Tunisia	Egypt	Jordan	Lebanon	Syria	Israel	PA	Libya	GCC	Mauritania	Iraq
EU		FTA 1973	CU 1996	AA 2000	AA 2005	AA 1998	AA 2004	AA 2002	AA 2006	AA	AA 2000	AA 1997		FTA
EFTA	FTA 1973		FTA 1992	FTA 1999		FTA 2005		FTA 2002	FTA 2005		FTA 1993	FTA 1999
Turkey CU	CU 1996	FTA 1992		FTA 2004		FTA 2005	FTA 2006	FTA 2009	FTA 2010	FTA 2004	FTA 1997	FTA 2005
Morocco	AA 2000	FTA 1999	FTA 2004		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005
Algeria	AA 2005			GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005
Tunisia	AA 1998	FTA 2005	FTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005
Egypt	AA 2004		FTA 2006	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005
Jordan	AA 2002	FTA 2002	FTA 2009	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005
Lebanon	AA 2006	FTA 2005	FTA 2010	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		FTA 2002, GAFTA 2005
Syria	AA		FTA 2004	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005			GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005
Israel	AA 2000	FTA 1993	FTA 1997									CU 1994
PA	AA 1997	FTA 1999	FTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	CU 1994		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005
Libya				GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005
GCC	FTA			GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005			GAFTA 2005
Mauritania
Iraq				GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	FTA 2002, GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005

instrument and year of entry into force

instrument and year of provisional entry into force

in negotiations

no diplomatic relations with Israel

References

The convention covers the EU, the EFTA, the EU customs unions with third states (Turkey, Andorra, San Marino), the EU candidate states, the partners of the Barcelona Process and possibly at a later stage all of the European Neighbourhood Policy partners.

External links

General overviews

Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreements, Summaries of EU Legislation, EU website, 2007. Consulted 4 September 2010.
System of Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Cumulation, European Commission Taxation and Customs Union page. Consulted 4 September 2010.
Euro-Med free trade area: the benefits of cumulation, EFTA Bulletin, Switzerland, July–August 2006. Consulted 4 September 2010.

More specific studies

European Union–Developing Country FTAs: Overview and Analysis, by JOSEPH F. FRANCOIS, MATTHEW MCQUEEN and GANESHAN WIGNARAJA, in "World Development" Vol. 33, No. 10, pp. 1545–1565, 2005, Elsesvier Ltd, UK.
Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area – Is It Time to Be Optimistic about the Future?, by Eylin Ege on the IEMed Observatory website, Barcelona, no date. Consulted 4 September 2010.
The Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area and its Impact on the Economies Involved, by Nicola Minasi, Rome, no date. Consulted 4 September 2010.
THE EUROMEDITERRANEAN FREE TRADE AREA: FROM COMPETITION TO INTEGRATION, by Alejandro Lorca and Gonzalo Escribano, Madrid, no date. Consulted 4 September 2010.

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[1] The convention covers the EU, the EFTA, the EU customs unions with third states (Turkey, Andorra, San Marino), the EU candidate states, the partners of the Barcelona Process and possibly at a later stage all of the European Neighbourhood Policy partners.