Euro-Mediterranean free trade area

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The Euro-Mediterranean free trade area (EU-MEFTA) 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 Middle East by 2010.

It is envisioned that an FTA with Rules of Origin with Pan-Euro-Mediterranean cumulation will be created. It will cover 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. [1].

Map indicating signatories of the Agadir Agreement
Map indicating signatories of the Agadir Agreement

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.

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.

The Agadir Agreement is seen also as a stepping stone to the formation of a Great Arab Free Trade Area [2]. The Arab League has recently announced that the Agadir organization is expected to include all 22 Arab Members by 2015, and expects the Arab League to become a powerful economic organization by 2025.[citation needed]

As of 1 January 2005, the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA) came into existence, consisting of most members of the Arab League. This organization essentially supersedes the Agadir Agreement and achieves the initial aims of the Euro-Mediterranean free trade area by effectively creating a free trade agreement between most Arab Maghreb states along with most of the Middle East.

Contents

[edit] Partners

[edit] Prospective partners

[edit] 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
SADR
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 2005 FTA 2006  ?  ?  ? FTA 1997 FTA 2005
Morocco AA 2000 FTA 1999  ? Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005 Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005 Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005
Algeria AA 2005       FTA        
Tunisia AA 1998 FTA 2005 FTA 2005 Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005 Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005 Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005
Egypt AA 2004 FTA 2006 Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005 Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005 Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005
Jordan AA 2002 FTA 2002  ? Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005 FTA Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005 Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005   GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005   GAFTA 2005
Lebanon AA 2006 FTA 2005  ? GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 GAFTA 2005 FTA 2002, GAFTA 2005
Syria AA    ? 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 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
GCC FTA 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
SADR  

     instrument and year of entry into force      instrument and year of provisional entry into force      in negotiations      no diplomatic relations with Israel or SADR

[edit] Comparison with other regional blocs

Most active regional blocs
(as of 2004, except as noted)
Regional bloc1 Area Population GDP ($US) Member
states1
km² sq mi in millions (PPP) in millions (nominal) per capita (PPP) per capita (nominal)
AU 29,797,500 11,504,879 897,548,804 1,515,000 1,131,850 1,896 1,261 53
ASEAN (2007 est.) 4,497,493 1,736,000 566,500,000 3,115,480 1,173,000 5,541 2,041 10
CACM 422,614 163,172 37,816,598 159,536 84,792 4,219 2,242 5
CARICOM 462,344 178,512 14,565,083 64,219 24,020 4,409 1,649 (14+1)3
CCASG / GCC 2,285,844 882,569 35,869,438 536,223 717,800 14,949 20,011 6
CEFTA 298,148 115,116 28,929,682 222,041 122,001 7,675 4,217 (7+1)3
EU (2007 est.) 4,324,782 1,669,808 497,000,000 14,953,000 16,574,000 28,213 33,482 27
EurAsEC 20,789,100 8,026,720 208,067,618 1,689,137 1,125,528 8,118 5,409 6
EFTA (2007 est.) 529,600 204,480 12,660,623 567,500 743,300 44,828 60,000 4
GAFTA 9,421,946 3,637,834 280,727,416 1,341,298 N/A 4,778 N/A (16+1)3
GUAM 810,506 312,938 63,764,600 456,173 106,469 7,154 1,670 4
NAFTA (2007 est.) 21,783,850 8,410,792 445,000,000 15,857,000 15,723,000 35,491 35,564 3
PARTA 528,151 203,920 7,810,905 23,074 N/A 2,954 N/A (12+2)3
SAARC 5,136,740 1,983,306 1,467,255,669 4,074,031 N/A 2,777 N/A 8
Unasur / Unasul 17,339,153 6,694,684 370,158,470 2,868,430 N/A 7,749 N/A 12
UN and countries
for reference2		 Area Population GDP ($US) Units4
km² sq mi in millions (PPP) in millions (nominal) per capita (PPP) per capita (nominal)
UN 133,178,011 51,420,318 6,411,682,270 55,167,630 48,245,198 8,604 7,524 192
Brazil (2007 est.) 8,514,877 3,287,612 183,888,841 1,804,000 1,067,706 10,073 6,842 27
Canada (2007 est.) 9,984,670 3,855,103 33,000,000 1,274,000 1,406,000 38,200 42,738 13
India (2007 est.) 3,287,590 1,269,346 1,120,000,000 4,726,000 1,089,000 4,182 1,004 35
Japan (2007 est.) 377,873 145,898 127,433,494 4,346,000 4,346,000 33,800 38,341 47
PR China5 (2007 est.) 9,596,960 3,705,407 1,321,851,888 7,043,000 3,420,000 5,300 2,800 33
Russia (2007 est.) 17,075,200 6,592,772 142,500,000 2,076,000 1,286,000 14,600 9,056 83
USA (2007 est.) 9,826,630 3,794,083 302,000,000 13,543,000 13,794,700 43,500 45,594 50
Source: CIA World Factbook 2005, IMF WEO Database, IMF nominal figures for 2006.[citation needed]
Legend
     smallest value among the blocs compared     largest value among the blocs compared

Footnotes
1 Including data only for full and most active members.
2 Including the largest five countries by area, population (not #4), GDP (PPP) (not #5), and GDP (nominal) (not #3 or #5).
3 Including non-sovereign autonomous areas of other states.
4 Members or administrative divisions.
5 Data for the People's Republic of China does not include Hong Kong, Macau, or the independent Republic of China (Taiwan) (over which PRC claims sovereignty).

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[edit] See also

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