EU sluit associatie-verdrag met Syrië (en)
The European Commission and Syria today formally mark the end of negotiations for an EU-Syria Association Agreement by initialling the text. The Agreement will now be submitted for approval to the decision-making bodies on both sides (in the case of the EU, to the Council) and will later be ratified by Parliaments. With this agreement, the EU completes its network of association agreements with all its partners in the Barcelona Process. The EU intends to work now with its partners to foster the regional integration of the Mediterranean countries, thus fostering South-South trade.
Like all Association Agreements with partners in the Barcelona Process, the Agreement with Syria covers three areas:
On the political side, the Association Agreement provides a framework to conduct regular political dialogue on international issues of common interest, fostering mutual understanding and promoting the convergence of views. It includes essential provisions on respect for the democratic principles and fundamental human rights, cooperation to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, and anti-terrorism,
On the economic chapter, the Association Agreement foresees the creation of a free trade area between the EU and Syria, contributing to the creation of a larger Euro-Mediterranean area by the envisaged date of 2010. The agreement covers trade in goods, services, rules for public procurement, as well as for the protection of intellectual property rights, co-operation in a large number of areas including on customs, transport, tourism or environment, as well as dispute settlement provisions in line with those in the WTO.
The agreement also comprises a chapter on co-operation in social and cultural matters. Cooperation will extend to a wide range of fields, from education and culture to the fight against crime, building and strengthening the rule of law, legal and judicial co-operation, racism and xenophobia, drugs and terrorism, movement of persons, control and prevention of illegal immigration as well as for the re-admission of nationals and non-nationals illegally arriving on the territory of one party from the other.
Apart from concluding Association Agreements with all partners in the Barcelona Process (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Authority, Tunisia, Turkey[1], and now Syria), the EU is also negotiating free trade agreements with the Gulf Co-operation Council, the regional grouping of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.
Background
In the Barcelona Declaration (1995) the then 27 Euro-Mediterranean Partners agreed on the establishment of a Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area by 2010, to be achieved through Association Agreements, negotiated and concluded with the European Union, together with free trade agreements between themselves.
These association agreements also include respect for human rights and democratic principles as essential elements. More recently it has been decided to add clauses on fighting Terrorism, and on Non proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
For more information
http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/syria/intro/index.htm
http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/issues/bilateral/regions/euromed/index_en.htm
[1] Turkey is covered by an Association Agreement dating back to the 1960s, which envisages eventual membership of the European Union, and the EU-Turkey customs union.