WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/REG101/R/B/1
G/L/369
28 April 2000
(00-1732)
Original:  French
COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY
 AND  LEBANON
Biennial Report on the Operation of the Agreement
Communication from the European Community
The report below presents the information rece ived from the Permanent Delegation of the
European Commission, dated 21 March 2000.  It is organized in accordance with the standard format
(WT/REG/W/6).
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I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE AGREEMENT
1. Membership and dates of signature, ratification and entry into force
The Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and Lebanon was signed on
3 May 1977.  Since then, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland and Sweden have become parties
to the Agreement, following their accession to the European Communities.
2. Type of agreement
The Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and Lebanon covers three
main areas:  trade, social affairs, and economic and financial cooperation.
On 8 November 1995, negotiations began on a Euro-Mediterranean association agreement
between Lebanon and the European Union (EU) w ith a view to reinforcing existing links by
establishing a balanced partnership.
The new Association Agreement covers a number of areas, essentially involving political
dialogue, the gradual creation of a free-trade area, economic and financial cooperation and
cooperation in social and cultural affairs.
4. Trade data
The development of trade between the parties and the relevant trade statistics, including those
for the rest of the world, appear in annex.WT/REG101/R/B/1
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II. TRADE PROVISIONS
1. Import restrictions and
2. Export restrictions
The trade provisions of the 1977 Cooperati on Agreement, according to which industrial
products (other than those listed in Annex II to the Treaty Establishing the EEC) originating in
Lebanon may be imported into the Community without quantitative restrictions or measures having an
equivalent effect and with exemption from customs duties or all charges having an equivalent effect,
remain unchanged.
The transitional measures provided for in th e additional protocols signed in 1987 following
the  accession of Spain and Portugal to the European Communities and relating to imports into thosetwo countries of industrial and agricultural products from Lebanon have now expired.
3. Rules of origin
4. Standards
5. Safeguards
6. Anti-dumping and countervailing measures and
7. Subsidies and State aid
The Cooperation Agreement does not contain provisions relating to standards or State aid.
With regard to trade defence instruments and rules of origin, the provisions of the Agreement remainunchanged.
8. Sector-specific provisions
The provisions of the Agreement relating to agriculture remain unchanged, except for an
adjustment in rules concerning olive oil.
IV. OTHER
Financial aspects
From 1977 to 1996, the Lebanon benefited from four  five-yearly financial protocols providing
for grants financed from the EC budget and EIB loans.
Areas related or complementary to trade liberalization
The Cooperation Agreement does not include provisions in these areas.  No specific
agreement has since been signed concerning the harmonization of legislation or the creation of
common regulatory structures or disciplines.WT/REG101/R/B/1
G/L/369
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Services and intellectual property
The Cooperation Agreement does not cover either services or intellectual property, and no
specific agreement has since been signed in these areas.WT/REG101/R/B/1
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Page 4ANNEX1
Table 1 – EU Imports from the World and Lebanon 1980-1998
(Millions of ECU)
SITC: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 TOTAL
1980 (EU 9)
      World 23,908 1,929 27,501 85,384 1,579 11,374 37,648 37,853 22,176 20,502 269,853
      Lebanon 31 1 7001 1 02 91 4 4
1984 (EU 10)
      World 33,643 2,810 36,139 107,594 2,803 19,968 48,969 71,432 34,537 24,205 382,100
      Lebanon 1 0 4 1 - 0 16 37 6 6 4
1988 (EU 12)
      World 32,221 2,152 35,752 47,393 1,499 25,067 59,078 106,689 49,968 27,937 387,757
      Lebanon 3 1 38 - 0 4 23 7 34 3 112
1992 (EU 12)
      World 34,580 3,215 32,218 65,183 1,748 33,888 69,355 146,277 76,771 23,900 487,135
      Lebanon 32 1 2002 2 08 2 94 7 8
1996 (EU 15)
      World 41,305 3,599 34,829 75,910 2,423 44,328 75,479 189,056 93,962 20,131 581,065
      Lebanon 5 3 19 - 3 20 33 9 27 3 123
1997 (EU 15)
      World 44,248 4,072 40,131 85,155 2,554 51,485 87,685 229,346 108,779 17,690 672,413
      Lebanon 5 4 26 3 1 18 51 14 29 2 153
1998 (EU 15)
      World 45,198 4,458 39,370 64,843 2,891 55,290 94,672 264,153 116,092 22,676 709,643
      Lebanon 6 4 22 0 0 19 46 23 32 3 154
                                                     
1 Source for all tables: Eurostat (COMEXT).WT/REG101/R/B/1
G/L/369
Page 5Table 2 – EU Exports to the World and Lebanon 1980-1998
(Millions of ECU)
S I T C : 0 123 4 56789 T O T A L
1980 (EU 9)
      World 13,662 3,422 4,327 10,071 717 23,228 46, 455 84,154 21,333 13,716 221,084
      Lebanon 106 16 18 26 8 127 227 308 171 24 1,032
1984 (EU 10)
      World 21,120 5,784 7,319 18,087 1,343 38,465 65,412 129,088 39,835 24,806 351,259
      Lebanon 210 32 21 46 22 187 323 334 291 43 1,510
1988 (EU 12)
      World 19,588 6,205 7,602 8,232 1,158 44,449 65, 673 141,249 48,507 20,256 362,917
      Lebanon 134 19 11 24 15 102 188 184 144 31 851
1992 (EU 12)
      World 24,887 8,778 8,068 10,552 1,491 54,200 71,091 180,838 59,247 16,939 436,091
      Lebanon 152 26 20 51 19 169 273 273 294 18 1,296
1996 (EU 15)
      World 30,646 10,339 11,414 15,431 1,998 79,14 4 102,957 283,081 79,287 12,695 627,011
      Lebanon 291 22 44 232 20 323 475 877 409 10 2,722
1997 (EU 15)
      World 33,504 12,374 13,084 17,109 2,575 93,04 6 114,927 331,113 88,686 13,717 721,109
      Lebanon 371 35 49 273 21 366 509 997 435 4 3,095
1998 (EU 15)
      World 31,772 12,005 11,554 13,833 2,831 95,88 5 112,815 343,435 89,424 16,869 730,423
      Lebanon 368 30 50 175 26 368 479 852 428 8 2,807WT/REG101/R/B/1
G/L/369
Page 6Table 3 – EU Trade with Lebanon by HS Section
(Millions of ECU)
EXPORTS IMPORTS
SECTION 1988 1992 1996 1997 1998 SECTION 1988 1992 1996 1997 1998
TOTAL 851 1,296 2,722 3,095 2,807 TOTAL 112 78 123 153 154
I 45 61 149 198 188 I 5 5 10 12 10
II 25 18 27 35 42 II 3 2 3 2 2
III 18 20 21 22 27 III 0 0 3 1 0
IV 83 103 144 181 175 IV 3 3 6 7 8
V 26 59 267 308 203 V 4 4 0 6 0
VI 80 139 273 307 319 VI 4 2 20 18 19
VII 37 54 93 112 100 VII 3 1 1 1 1
VIII 6 9 10 11 11 VIII 21 2 1 3 4
IX 4 6 17 20 24 IX 0 0 0 0 0
X 1 8 3 7 6 97 88 1 X 2 3 4 5 9
XI 96 164 188 203 213 XI 24 27 20 18 19
X I I 1 5 3 1 3 33 43 4 X I I 1 0 1 1 1
XIII 29 55 83 89 75 XIII 0 0 0 0 0
XIV 46 81 120 127 114 XIV 7 6 20 34 26
XV 65 102 200 198 194 XV 22 10 18 22 23
XVI 109 175 642 576 615 XVI 5 7 8 13 16
XVII 74 95 228 416 234 XVII 2 1 1 2 7
XVIII 27 29 59 67 58 XVIII 0 1 3 3 4
XIX 1 2 3 4 4 XIX * 0 0 0 0
XX 17 35 66 66 69 XX 1 1 1 1 1
XXI 20 3 6 7 7 XXI 2 2 3 4 3WT/REG101/R/B/1
G/L/369
Page 7Table 4 – EU Trade with the World by HS Section
(Millions of ECU)
EXPORTS IMPORTS
SECTION 1988 1992 1996 1997 1998 SECTION 1988 1992 1996 1997 1998
TOTAL 362,917 436,091 627,011 721,109 730,423 T OTAL 387,757 487,135 581,065 672,413 709,643
I 7,060 8,001 9,980 10,897 10,062 I 8, 349 10,300 10,897 12,227 13,296
II 6,372 8,511 8,819 9,757 9,145 II 17,55 5 17,353 23,130 25,437 24,992
III 1,341 1,673 2,286 2,977 3,156 III 1,542 1,781 2,250 2,390 2,693
IV 13,817 19,194 24,510 27,744 27,279 I V 13,638 15,595 18,511 19,019 19,518
V 9,723 12,152 17,487 19,630 16,711 V 55,920 73,081 84,793 95,737 75,508
VI 37,393 46,951 68,968 81,772 85,215 V I 22,179 29,303 39,774 46,234 49,432
VII 15,521 16,914 23,128 27,148 27,504 V II 10,125 13,862 17,132 19,323 21,043
VIII 4,119 4,084 7,159 7,375 6,435 VIII 6,121 5,701 7,590 8,498 8,224
IX 1,771 2,035 4,045 4,927 5,182 IX 9, 615 10,926 9,118 10,973 11,434
X 7,937 10,271 18,033 19,764 19,803 X 17,605 19,227 11,110 11,996 12,571
XI 20,244 25,208 31,611 34,724 35,221 X I 28,639 39,478 47,467 55,248 57,903
XII 3,440 4,526 5,922 6,313 6,043 XII 3,325 5,451 7,029 8,308 8,274
XIII 7,153 8,120 11,257 12,916 12, 894 XIII 2,593 3,883 4,386 5,090 5,648
XIV 13,026 12,425 16,992 19,285 17,990 X IV 17,526 15,037 21,620 23,890 26,981
XV 30,826 30,864 42,214 46,944 45,623 X V 26,101 29,345 33,661 40,312 44,472
XVI 93,666 120,842 193,730 226,482 234,539 XVI 81,389 106,397 146,298 173,122 195,378
XVII 46,674 59,351 89,086 104,705 110,049 XVII 25,240 40,386 42,797 56,275 68,476
XVIII 14,107 17,067 23,982 28,129 29,109 XVIII 14,869 19,652 24,343 27,814 29,926
XIX 402 388 1,097 1,326 1,656 XIX 118 194 466 603 510
XX 7,819 9,378 13,350 15,177 15,242 XX 6 ,655 12,072 14,394 17,529 19,046
XXI 8,204 5,727 13,354 13,115 11,565 XXI 5,733 5,511 14,298 12,387 14,318
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