EN    EN  COMMISSION OF THE E UROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 17.12.2004 
COM(2004) 808 final 
2004/0281 (AVC)   
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL DECISION 
On the signature on behalf of the European  Community and provisional application of 
certain provisions of a Euro-Mediterrane an Association Agreement between the 
European Community and its Member Stat es and the Syrian Arab Republic  
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL DECISION 
On the conclusion of a Euro-Mediterranean Associat ion Agreement between the 
European Community and its Member States of the one part, and the Syrian Arab 
Republic, of the other part 
(presented by the Commission) 
 
EN 2   EN EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM  
1. The attached proposals constitute the legal instruments for the signature and 
conclusion of a Euro-Mediterranean Asso ciation Agreement between the European 
Community and its Member States, of the one  part, and the Syrian Arab Republic, of 
the other part. 
(a) Proposal for a Council Decision for the signature of the Agreement; 
(b) Proposal for a Council Decision for the conclusion of the Agreement. 
2. Syria’s relations with the European Co mmunity are presently covered by the Co-
operation Agreement signed on 18 July 1977 (e ntered into force on 1 January 1978), 
as modified by subsequent protocols. The Council adopted its negotiating directives 
on 18 December 1997 and the Commission formally launched the negotiations for an Association Agreement on 14-15 May 1998. Progre ss was very slow in the first four 
years. The pace of negotiations changed af ter the Syrian government reshuffle in 
December 2001 and at the eighth session on 5-6 June 2002 the first chapters of the text could be agreed. After the submission of a comprehensive Syrian tariff schedule, 
intensive negotiations on tariff dismantleme nt could start in September 2003 leading 
to conclusion of the nego tiations at the twelfth a nd final round on 8-9 December 
2003, followed by a series of t echnical discussions , leading to the initialling of the 
text by the Commission and by the Government of Syria in Brussels on 19 October 
2004. 
3. The proposed Association Agreement between the EU and Syria will establish a new, 
closer relationship within the context of the Euro-Mediterra nean partnership 
launched by the 1995 Barcelona Declaration. It will contribute to peace and security in the region and will stimulate trade a nd economic relations between Syria and the 
EU, and Syria and its Mediterranean partne rs. The proposed agreement would be the 
last missing piece in building the Euro-Medit erranean Free Trade Area in 2010 as set 
up in the Barcelona Declaration. The Bar celona Declaration unde rlines the EU’s 
priority to strengthen its secu rity, economic and social relations with the partners of 
the southern Mediterranean Basin. Agreem ents with Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, 
Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Territories (PLO), Jordan and Lebanon have already been signed; only Syria remains. 
4. The EU-Syria Association Agreement w ill have an unlimited duration and will open 
the way to deepen relations in a wide number of fields, based on reciprocity and 
partnership. Respect for the principles of  democracy and human rights will constitute 
an essential element of the Agreement. In line with the Council Decision of  
17 November 2003 on the figh t against the proliferat ion of weapons of mass 
destruction, the Agreement also contains as  an essential element a commitment to 
fulfilling existing obligations under disarmam ent and non-proliferation instruments.  
5. The EU-Syria Association Agreement is similar in pattern to other Euro-
Mediterranean Association Agreements, but contains more far-reaching and 
substantial provisions in a number of areas: non-prolif eration, counter-terrorism, 
comprehensive tariff dismantlement on agri cultural products, technical barriers to 
trade, sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures, trade facilitation, ri ght of establishment 
and services, government procurement, intell ectual property right s and trade dispute 
 
EN 3   EN settlement mechanisms. The provisional a pplication of trade and trade related 
provisions is also foreseen.  
6. The Agreement focuses on the following main elements: 
– regular political dialogue, includi ng co-operation on non-proliferation; 
– economic, social, and cultural dialogue and co-operation in a wide range of fields; 
– the progressive establishment of a fr ee-trade area between the European 
Community and Syria over a maximum peri od of twelve years. Both Parties 
recognise the importance of free trade, as  guaranteed by the General Agreement 
on Tariffs and Trade of 1994 (GATT) a nd by the other multilateral agreements 
annexed to the Treaty es tablishing the WTO;  
– for industrial products, free access granted to Syrian exports to the Community o 
under the 1978 Co-operation Agreement is reconfirmed. Reciprocally, Syria will 
liberalise its imports regime for Community products so that all tariffs are reduced 
to zero by the end of the twelve year tran sition period after entry into force of the 
Agreement; 
– for processed agricultural pr oducts, specific reciprocal concessions are foreseen; 
– agricultural products from Syria to the Co mmunity will be liberalised conforming 
to Barcelona Process objectives (gradual li beralisation with review clause). For a 
list of sensitive products tariff quotas sh all be applied. Tariffs on products from 
the Community exported to Syria will be dismantled in a linear manner so as to 
reach zero by the end of the twelve year transition period after entry into force of 
the Agreement; 
– trade in fish and fishery products imported from Syria into the Community, with 
the exception of a limited number of products , will be liberalised over a two-year 
period. For those products wher e liberalisation is not fore seen, tariff quotas will 
be provided under the Agreem ent. Tariffs on fish and fishery products exported 
from the Community to Syria will be  dismantled in a linear manner over a 
maximum period of 12 years after the entry into force of the Agreement; 
– right of establishment and services granting European investors MFN or national 
treatment (whichever is better) for establ ishment in Syria and opening almost all 
sectors for investment, with the exception of some reserved currently for state 
monopolies. The area of telecommunications will be opened at the latest six years 
after entry into force; 
– dispute settlement provisions to resolv e trade disputes in line with the WTO 
Dispute Settlement Mechanism; 
– provisions on the movement of persons; 
– on payments and capital movements, competition, government procurement, 
intellectual, industria l and commercial property rights, and on standards, technical 
regulation and conformity assessment procedures; 
 
EN 4   EN – commitments and co-operation in the areas  of migration (inc luding re-admission), 
rule of law, combating drugs and or ganised crime, money-laundering, and 
counter-terrorism;  
– institutional provisions for the management of the Agreement, which will include 
the establishment of an A ssociation Council to meet at ministerial level to 
supervise the implementation of the Agreement, and of an Association 
Committee; 
– the Association Council shall take all ap propriate measures to facilitate co-
operation and contacts between  the European Parliament and the Syrian People’s 
Assembly. 
It is aimed at supporting economic and politic al reform in Syria, preparing Syria for 
integration into the world economy and promo ting regional integratio n. Through a regular 
political dialogue, it will also en able the EU to engage into discussions with Syria on all 
topics of mutual concern, in particular human rights and democr atic principles, terrorism and 
non-proliferation. 
 
EN 5   EN Proposal for a 
COUNCIL DECISION 
On the signature on behalf of the European  Community and provisional application of 
certain provisions of a Euro-Mediterrane an Association Agreement between the 
European Community and its Member Stat es and the Syrian Arab Republic  
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 
Having regard to the Treaty esta blishing the European Community and in particular Article 
310 in conjunction with the first sentence of th e first subparagraph of Article 300, paragraph 2 
thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission1, 
Whereas: (1) The Council adopted the directives on  18 December 1997 for the Commission to open 
negotiations for a Euro-Mediterranean Asso ciation Agreement between the European 
Community and its Member States, of the one  part, and the Syrian Arab Republic of 
the other part; 
(2) These negotiations have been concluded and the Agreement has been initialled on  
19 October 2004; 
(3) The European Commission and the Syrian  Arab Republic have undertaken to apply 
provisionally certain provisions  of the Association Agreement pending its entry into 
force. 
(4) The measures necessary for the implemen tation of the provisional application should 
be adopted un accordance with Council De cision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying 
down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the 
Commission
2. 
(5) The Association Agreement should be si gned on behalf of the Community and the 
provisional application of its  provisions should be adopted. 
                                                 
1 OJ C 
2 OJ L 184, 17.7 1999 p. 23. 
 
EN 6   EN HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:  
Article 1 
Subject to its conclusion at a later date, the President of the Council is hereby authorised to 
designate the person(s) empowered to sign, on be half of the European Community, the Euro-
Mediterranean Association Agreement between  the European Community and its Member 
States, of the one part, and the Syri an Arab Republic, of the other part. 
Article 2 
The following provisions of the Association Ag reement shall be app lied on a provisional 
basis pending its entry into force: Article 2, Articles 7 to 42, Article  61, Articles 63 to 89, 
Article 97, Articles 99 to 102, Article 107, Articl e 120, Articles 132 to 138, and Articles 140 
and 141. 
Article 3 
The measures necessary for the implementati on of the provisional application of the 
Agreement shall be adopted in accordance with  the procedure referred to in Article 4. 
Article 4 
(1) The Commission shall be assisted by a Co mmittee on horizontal questions concerning 
trade in processed agricultura l products not listed in Annex I to the Treaty, established 
by Article 16 of Council Regulation (EC) No 3448/1993 of 6th December 1993 laying 
down the trade arrangements applicable to certain goods resulting from the processing 
of agricultural products3, by the Management Committee for Sugar established by 
Article 42 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001 of 19 June 2001 on the common 
organisation of the market in sugar4, modified by Commission Regulation (EC) No 
680/2002 of 19 April 20025 or, where appropriate, by th e committees established by 
the corresponding provisions of other re gulations on the common organisation of 
markets or by the Customs Code Committee established by Article  248a of Regulation 
(EEC) No 2913/92 of 12th October 1992 establishing th e Community Customs Code6. 
Where reference is made to this paragr aph, Article 4 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC 
shall apply. The period laid down in Article  4(3) of Decision 1999/ 468/EC shall be set 
at one month. 
                                                 
3 OJ L 318, 20.12.1993, p.18. 
4 OJ L 178, 30.6.2001, p. 1. 
5 OJ L 104, 20.4.2002, p. 26. 
6 OJ L 302, 19.10.1992, p. 1, Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2700/2000 (OJ L 311, 
12.12.2000 p. 17). 
 
EN 7   EN (2) The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure. 
Done at Brussels,  
 For the Council 
 The President   
 
EN 8   EN 2004/0281 (AVC) 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL DECISION 
On the conclusion of a Euro-Mediterranean Associat ion Agreement between the 
European Community and its Member States of the one part, and the Syrian Arab 
Republic, of the other part 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 
Having regard to the Treaty esta blishing the European Community and in particular Article 
310 in conjunction with the second phrase of Article 300, paragraph 2, and the second sub-
paragraph of paragraph 3, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the assent of the European Parliament
7 
Whereas: (1) The Euro-Mediterranean Association Ag reement between the European Community 
and its Member States, of the one part, and the Syrian Arab Republic  of the other part; 
has been signed on behalf of the European  Community, in […] on […], subject to the 
reserve of an eventual conclusion at a late r date, in conformity with the decision 
…./………./CE of the Council of …. 
(2) The Agreement should be approved,  HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:  
Article 1 
The Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreemen t between the European Community and its 
Member States, of the one part, and the Syrian  Arab Republic, of the other part, the annexes 
and protocols to the Agreement, as well as the joint declarations and the declarations of the European Community included in the final act , are approved on behalf of the European 
Community. 
The initialled texts mentioned in para graph 1 form part of this Decision.  
                                                
 
7 OJ C […], […], p 
 
EN 9   EN Article 2 
The Position to be taken by the Community in the context of the Asso ciation Council and of 
the Association Committee, is to be defi ned by the Council, on the proposal of the 
Commission, or, if the case arises, by the Co mmission, in conformity with the relevant 
components of the Treaties.  
In conformity with article 124 and article 127 of  the Agreement, the Pr esident of the Council 
will chair the Association Council. A repres entative of the Commission will chair the 
Association Committee, according to the agreed procedural rules.  
The decision to publish the decisions of th e Association Council an d of the Association 
Committee in the Official Journal of the European Union will be taken in each case respectively by the Council and the Commission.  
Article 3 
The President of the Council is authorised to designate the person(s) empowered to proceed, 
on behalf of the European Community, to depos it the act of notification foreseen in article 
142 of the Agreement.  
Done at Brussels,  
For the Council 
The President 
 
EN 10   EN ANNEX  
EURO-MEDITERRANEAN AGREEMENT 
ESTABLISHING AN ASSOCIATION 
BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
AND THEIR MEMBER STATES  ON THE ONE PART, 
AND THE SYRIAN ARAB REPU BLIC ON THE OTHER PART 
 
EN 11   EN THE KINGDOM OF BELGIUM 
CZECH REPUBLIC 
THE KINGDOM OF DENMARK 
THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY 
REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA 
THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC 
THE KINGDOM OF SPAIN 
THE FRENCH REPUBLIC 
IRELAND 
THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC 
REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS 
REPUBLIC OF LATVIA 
REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA 
THE GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG 
HUNGARIAN REPUBLIC 
REPUBLIC OF MALTA 
THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS 
THE AUSTRIAN REPUBLIC 
REPUBLIC OF POLAND 
THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC 
REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA 
SLOVAKIA REPUBLIC 
THE REPUBLIC OF FINLAND 
THE KINGDOM OF SWEDEN 
THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BR ITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND, 
contracting Parties to the Treaty establishing the EUROPEAN COMMUNITY , hereinafter 
referred to as the "Member States", and 
 
EN 12   EN the EUROPEAN COMMUNITY, hereinafter referred to as "t he Community", on the one 
part, 
and the SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC , hereinafter referred to as "Syria", on the other part, 
CONSIDERING the importance of the existing traditional links between the Community and 
its Member States on the one hand, and Syria on the other, and the comm on values that they 
share, 
CONSIDERING that the Community and its Memb er States on the one hand and Syria on the 
other wish to strengthen those links and esta blish lasting relations based on reciprocity, 
partnership and joint development, 
CONSIDERING the importance which the Parties attach to the purposes and principles of the 
Charter of the United Nations, the observance of  human rights, democr atic principles and 
political and economic freedoms, which form the very basis of the Association, 
CONSIDERING the political and economic devel opments that have taken place in Europe 
and in Syria in the past years, and conscious of the need to asso ciate their efforts to strengthen 
political stability and economic development through the encouragement of cooperation both 
within a comprehensive Euro- Mediterranean framework and at the sub- regional level; 
CONSCIOUS of Syria’s determination to deve lop the interaction of its economy with the 
world economy and its cooperation in this co ntext with the Community and its Member 
States; 
CONSCIOUS of the importance of this Agreem ent based on co-operation and dialogue in 
order to achieve permanent security and st ability in the Euro-Mediterranean region;  
CONSIDERING that the proliferation of wea pons of mass-destruction (WMD) and their 
means of delivery, both to state a nd non-state actors, represents one  of the most serious threats 
to international stability and security; 
DESIROUS of co-operating to counter the threat  of illicit use and tra fficking of WMD-related 
goods and technologies, and recognizing that setting up an effective national system of export, 
transit and end-use controls will also facilit ate the acquisition of goods and technologies for 
the development of Syria; 
CONSCIOUS that international crime and terrorism  represent a threat to the fulfilment of the 
objectives of the agreement and stability of the region; 
DESIROUS of establishing a nd developing regular political  dialogue on bilateral and 
international issues of mutual interest; 
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the will of the Community to provide  Syria with support in its 
endeavours to pursue economic reform and soci al development through effective cooperation 
mechanisms;   
BEARING IN MIND the difference in the level of economic and social development between 
the Community and Syria, and desirous of wo rking together to overcome these differences 
and achieve the objectives of this Association through the a ppropriate provisions of this 
Agreement; 
 
EN 13   EN DESIROUS of strengthening c ooperation, supported by a regul ar dialogue, in economic, 
scientific, environmental, techno logical, audio-visual, social a nd cultural matters with a view 
to improving mutual knowledge  and reaching a better mutual understanding; 
CONSIDERING the importance for the Community and for Syria of free trade, as guaranteed 
by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade of 1994 (GATT) and by the other multilateral agreements annexed to the Treaty establis hing the World Trade Organization (WTO); 
CONVINCED that this Associat ion Agreement will create an environment appropriate for the 
further development of their economic relations , in particular in the fields of trade, 
investment, technological modernisation, co-operation, including appropriate economic 
restructuring; 
CONFIRMING that the provisions of this agreem ent that fall within the scope of Part III, 
Title IV of the Treaty establishing the Eu ropean Community bind the United Kingdom and 
Ireland as separate Contracting Parties, and not  as part of the European Community, until the 
United Kingdom and Ireland (as the case may be) no tifies Syria that it has become bound as 
part of the European Community in accordance  with the Protocol on  the position of the 
United Kingdom and Ireland annexed to the Tr eaty on the European Union and the Treaty 
establishing the European Community. The same  applies to Denmark, in accordance with the 
Protocol annexed to those Treatie s on the position of Denmark; 
have agreed as follows: 
Article 1 
1. An Association is hereby established be tween the Community and its Member States 
on the one part and Syria on the other part. 
2. The aims of this Agreement are:  
(a) To provide an appropriate framewor k for the political dialogue between the 
Parties, allowing the development of close political relations in all fields they 
consider to be of inte rest to such dialogue; 
(b) to establish the conditio ns for the progressive liberalisation of trade in goods, 
services and capital; 
(c) to develop exchanges and foster ba lanced economic and social relations 
between the Parties, in pa rticular through dialogue a nd cooperation intended to 
enhance the prosperity and economic and social development in Syria; 
(d) to encourage cooperation both within  a comprehensive Euro-Mediterranean 
framework and at the sub-regional leve l through integration between Syria and 
its regional partners;  
(e) to promote cooperation in the economic, social, cultural and financial fields, as 
well as other areas which might  be of mutual interest. 
 
EN 14   EN Article 2 
Respect for the democratic principles and fundamental human righ ts established by the 
Universal Declaration of Human Rights shall inspire the domestic and external policies of the 
Parties and shall constitute an essential element of this Agreement. 
 
EN 15   EN TITLE I 
POLITICAL DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION 
Article 3 
Regular political dialogue and co -operation shall be established between the Parties in order 
to foster permanent relations of cooperation betw een them and to contribute to the prosperity, 
the stability and security of the Mediterranean region, and crea te a climate of intercultural 
understanding and tolerance. 
Article 4 
The Parties reiterate their shared objective to  pursue a mutually and effectively verifiable 
Middle East zone free of weapons of mass de struction, nuclear, biological and chemical and 
their delivery systems. They agree to promote jointly the signature, ratification and implementation by all Mediterranean partners of  all non-proliferation in struments, including 
the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the Co mprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), the 
Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). 
Article 5 
1. The Parties agree to cooperate and to cont ribute to countering the proliferation of 
weapons of mass-destruction, nuclear, biol ogical and chemical and their means of 
delivery through full compliance with their existing obligations under international 
disarmament and non-prolifera tion treaties and agreements and their other existing 
relevant international obligations, as well as United Nations  Security Council 
resolutions and ensuring thei r effective implementation. Th e Parties agr ee that this 
provision constitutes an essential element of this Agreement. 
2. They also agree to cooperate and contribute to this end by: 
taking action towards the signature, ratificat ion or accession, as appropriate, and full 
implementation of all other releva nt international instruments; 
setting up effective national systems of e xport, transit and end- use controls of WMD-
related goods and technologi es, including dual use, a nd containing enforcement 
procedures with appropriate penalties. 
3. The political dialogue as set out in Ar ticle 6 will accompany and consolidate the 
elements in articles 4 and 5. 
Article 6 
1. The political dialogue shall cover subject s of common interest, and in particular 
peace, respect for international law and territorial integrity , regional stability and 
security, human rights, democracy and regi onal development, and shall aim to open 
the way to new forms of cooperation with a view to common goals, in these areas. 
 
EN 16   EN 2. The political dialogue and co-operation will in particular: 
(a) facilitate the process of rapproche ment between the Parties, through the 
development of a better mutual understanding and the promotion of convergence of views through regular cons ultations on international issues of 
mutual interest; 
(b) give each party the opportunity to gain  a better understanding of the positions 
and interests of the other party, a nd give them due consideration; 
(c) strengthen international non-prolifer ation and enhance mutual security and 
stability in the Euro -Mediterranean region; 
(d) help develop joint initiatives on the basis of the principles which inspire this 
Agreement. 
3. The political dialogue shall take place at re gular intervals and whenever necessary, in 
particular : 
(a) at ministerial level, mainly in th e framework of the Association Council; 
(b) at senior official level of Syria on th e one part, and of the Presidency of the 
Council, assisted by the Secretary-General/High Representative, and the 
European Commission on the other; 
(c) by taking full advantage of all diploma tic channels including regular briefings 
by officials, consultations on the occas ion of international meetings and 
contacts between diplomatic repr esentatives in third countries; 
(d) whenever necessary, by any othe r means which would make a useful 
contribution to consolidating, develo ping and stepping up this dialogue. 
 
EN 17   EN TITLE II 
FREE MOVEMENT OF GOODS 
BASIC PRINCIPLES 
Article 7 
The Community and Syria shall gradually establis h a free trade area over a transitional period 
lasting a maximum of 12 years starting from the da te of the entry into force of this Agreement 
in accordance with the provisions of this Agr eement and in conformity with those of the 
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 a nd its subsequent revisions, hereinafter 
referred to as the GATT . 
CHAPTER I 
ELIMINATION OF CUSTOMS DUTIES 
Article 8 
A customs duty includes any dut y or charge of any kind imposed in connection with the 
importation or exportation of a good , including any form of surtax  or surcharge in connection 
with such importation or exporta tion, but does not include any: 
(a) internal taxes or other in ternal charges imposed consis tently with Article 24 (1); 
(b) antidumping or countervailing duties applie d consistently with Articles 28 and 29;  
(c) fees or other charges imposed consiste ntly with GATT Article VIII, most notably 
these fees and other charges shall be limited in amount to  the approximate cost of 
services rendered and shall not represent an  indirect protection for domestic products 
or a taxation of imports or exports for fiscal purposes. They shall be based on 
specific rates that corr espond to the real value of the service rendered. 
Article 9 
1. Customs duties on imports between the Part ies shall be elimin ated in accordance 
with the provisions of sections 1 and 2 below. 
2. Customs duties on exports between the Parties shall be eliminated as from the date of 
entry into force of this Agreement. 
3. For each product, the basic customs duty to  which the tariff elimination provisions 
are to be applied shall be : 
 
EN 18   EN a) the European Community Common Cu stoms Tariff actually applied erga 
omnes on the day of the signa ture of this Agreement;8 
b) the Syrian tariff set out in Annex I. 
4. If a Party reduces its applied customs duty rate from that mentioned in paragraph 3 
and prior to the ending of th e transitional period, the Tari ff elimination provisions of 
that Party shall apply from the date of  that reduction, to the reduced rates. 
5. In the event of the accession of Syria to the WTO, the basic customs duty to which 
the tariff elimination provisions are to be  applied shall be the WTO bound rate or 
other, if lower, effectively a pplied rate erga omnes as of the date of th e accession. If, 
after the accession to the WTO, a tariff re duction is applied on a erga omnes basis, 
the reduced rate shall apply as the basic cu stoms duty from the date of application of 
that reduction. 
Article 10 
No new customs duties shall be introduced nor shall those already applied be increased in 
trade between the Parties as from the da te of signature of this Agreement. 
Section 1 
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS 
Article 11 
The provisions of this Section sh all apply to products  originating in the Community and Syria 
falling within Chapters 25 to 97 of the Combin ed Nomenclature and of the Syria customs 
tariff with the exception of the products listed in Annex II. 
Article 12 
Imports into the Community of products originat ing in Syria shall be allowed free of customs 
duties as defined in article 8. 
Article 13 
(1) Customs duties as defined in Article 8 a pplicable to imports in to Syria of products 
originating in the Community shall be s ubmitted to a linear dismantling to zero 
according to the following scheme and schedule: 
1. All duties at 1%, 1,5 %, 1,7%, 3% and 3,5% listed in Annex I sh all be abolished 
at the date of the entry into force of this Agreement. 
                                                 
8 Council Regulation (EEC) N° 2658/87 OJCE L256 07/09/1987; Commission Regulation (EC) 
N°1789/2003 L281 30/10/2003 (annual update of annex I: nomenclature). 
 
EN 19   EN 2. Except for products covered by paragra phs 7 and 8, all duties at 5% and 7% 
listed in Annex I shall be abolished in thr ee years after the date of the entry into 
force of this Agreement. 
3. Except for products covered by paragraphs 7 and 8, all duties at 10%, 11,75% 
and 14,5% listed in Annex I shall be abolis hed in six years after the date of the 
entry into force of this Agreement. 
4. Except for products covered by paragraphs 7 and 8, all duties at 20% and 
23,5% listed in Annex I shall be abolished in nine years after the date of the 
entry into force of this Agreement. 
5. Except for products covered by paragraphs  7 and 8, all duties at 29%, 35% and 
47% listed in Annex I shall be abolished in twelve years after the date of the 
entry into force of this Agreement. 
6. Except for products 8703.23.91 and 8703.23.92, all duties above 50% listed in 
Annex I shall be brought down to 50% at the en try into force of  this Agreement 
and shall be abolished in twelve years af ter the date of the entry into force of 
this Agreement. 
7. For products covered by the Informatio n Technology Agreement of the World 
Trade Organisation as listed in Protocol  8, all duties shall be abolished at the 
date of the entry into force of this Agreement. 
8. For products of the categories HS 28, 29, 30, 31, 35, 36, 37 and 38, all duties 
shall be abolished at the date of the entry into force of this Agreement. 
9. For product 8703.23.91 as specified in Anne x I, the duty shall be brought down 
in a linear manner from 145% to 65% in three years after the date of the entry 
into force of this Agreement, and then be abolished in the nine remaining years of the transition period. 
10.
 For product 8703.23.92 as specified in Anne x I, the duty shall be brought down 
in a linear manner from 255% to 150% in three years after the date of the entry 
into force of this Agreement, and then be abolished in the nine remaining years of the transition period. 
(2) In the event of serious difficulties for a given product, the schedule applicable under 
paragraph (1) above may be reviewed  by the Association Committee by common 
accord on the understanding that the schedule may not be extended in respect of the 
product concerned beyond the maximum tran sitional period of 12 years. If the 
Association Committee has not ta ken a decision within thirty  days of an application 
by Syria to review the schedule for a given product, Syria may suspend the 
concerned schedule provisionally for a period that may not exceed one year.  
 
EN 20   EN Article 14 
The provisions regarding the abolition of cust oms duties on imports shall also apply to 
customs duties of a fiscal nature.  
Article 15 
1. Exceptional measures of limited duration that  derogate from the provisions of Article 
12 may be taken by Syria in the form of an increase or reintroduction of customs 
duties during the transition period. 
a) These measures may only concern in fant industries, or certain sectors 
undergoing restructuring or facing serious difficulties, particularly where these 
difficulties produce major social problems. 
b) Customs duties applicable on import into  Syria of products originating in the 
Community introduced by these measures may not exceed 25%  ad valorem and 
shall maintain an element of prefer ence for products originating in the 
Community. The total yearly average  value of imports of the products that are 
subject to these measures may not exceed 20%  of the total yearly average value 
of imports of industrial products origin ating in the Community during the last 
three years for which statistics are available. 
c) These measures shall be applied for a period not exceeding five years unless a 
longer duration is authorised by the Association Committee. They shall cease to apply at the latest on the expiry of the maximum transitional period of twelve years. 
d) No such measures may be introduced in  respect of a product if more than three 
years have elapsed since the elimin ation of all duties and quantitative 
restrictions or charges or measures ha ving equivalent effect  concerning that 
product. 
e) Syria shall inform the Association Committee of any exceptional measures it 
intends to take. Within thirty days af ter this notificati on, the Community may 
request consultations on such measures  and the sectors to which they apply 
before they are implemented. When taki ng such measures Sy ria shall provide 
the Committee with a timetable for th e elimination of the customs duties 
introduced under this Article. This time table shall provide for a phasing out of 
these duties in equal annual instalments starting at the latest two years after 
their introduction. The Association Committee may decide on a different timetable. 
2. By way of derogation from the fourth s ubparagraph of paragraph 1, the Association 
Committee may exceptionally, in order to take  account of the diffi culties involved in 
setting up a new industry, authorise Syria to  maintain the meas ures already taken 
pursuant to paragraph 1 for a maximum pe riod of three years beyond the twelve-year 
transitional period. 
 
EN 21   EN Section 2 
AGRICULTURAL, FISHERIES AND PR OCESSED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS 
Article 16 
The provisions of this Section sh all apply to products  originating in the Community and Syria 
listed in chapters 1 to 24 of the Combined Nome nclature and of the Syria customs tariff and to 
the products listed in Annex II. 
Article 17 
The Community and Syria shall progressively establish a greater liberalisation of their 
reciprocal trade in agriculture, fisheries and processed agricultural products.  
Article 18 
1. Agricultural products originating in Syria shall benefit on import  into the Community 
from the provisions set out in Protocol No. 1. 
2. Agricultural products originating in the Co mmunity shall benefit on import into Syria 
from the provisions set out in Protocol No. 2. 
3. Fisheries products originating in Syria shall benefit on import into the Community 
from the provisions set out in Protocol No. 3. 
4. Fisheries products originating in the Co mmunity shall benefit on import into Syria 
from the provisions set out in Protocol No. 4. 
Article 19 
Trade in Processed Agricultural Products falli ng under this section shall be subject to the 
arrangements set out in Protocol No. 5. 
Article 20 
1. During the third year of implementation of  the Agreement, the Community and Syria 
shall examine the situation in order to de termine the measures to be applied by the 
Community and Syria from the be ginning of the fourth year after the entry into force 
of the agreement, in accordance with the objective set out in Article 17. 
2. Without prejudice to the provisions of the preceding paragraph and taking account of 
the volume of trade in agricultural pr oducts, fisheries products and processed 
agricultural products between the Parties an d the particular sensitivity of such 
products, the Community and Syria shall examine in the Association Council, 
product by product and on a reciprocal and or derly basis, the possi bilities of granting 
each other further concessions.  
 
EN 22   EN Article 21 
1. The Parties shall co-operate in the area of  sanitary and phytosan itary measures with 
the objectives of fac ilitating trade. The Parties will be bound by the principles set out 
in the WTO Agreement on the Application of  Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, 
when applying SPS-measures.  
2. On request the Parties shall identify and address problems that may arise from the 
application of specific SPS-measures with a view to reaching mutually acceptable 
solutions. 
Article 22 
1. In the event of specific rules being introduced  as a result of the implementation of its 
agricultural policy or of any alteration of the current rules or in the event of any 
alteration or extension of the provisions  relating to the implementation of its 
agricultural policy, the Part y concerned may amend the arrangements resulting from 
the Agreement in respect of  the products concerned. 
2. In such cases the Party concerned shall inform the Association Committee. At the 
request of the other Party, th e Association Committee shall meet to take due account 
of the interests of the other Party. 
3. If the Community or Syria, in applying pa ragraph 1, modifies the arrangements made 
by this Agreement for agricultural products, they shall accord imports originating in 
the other Party an advantage comparable to  that provided for in this Agreement. 
4. The application of this Article should be the subjec t of consultations in the 
Association Council. 
CHAPTER 2 
COMMON PROVISIONS 
Article 23 
All import or export prohibitions or restrictions in trade between the Pa rties, other than 
customs duties and taxes, whether made effec tive through quotas, import or export licenses or 
other measures, shall be eliminated upon the entr y into force of this Agreement. No new such 
measures shall be introduced. Th is provision is without prejudice  to the application of Articles 
28 and 29.  
Article 24 
1. Imported products of the terr itory of the other Party sha ll not be subject, either 
directly or indirectly, to internal taxes or other internal charges of any kind in excess 
of those applied, directly or indirectly, to like dom estic products. Moreover, the 
Parties shall not otherwise apply internal ta xes or other internal  charges so as to 
afford protection to domestic production. 
 
EN 23   EN 2. Imported products of the territory of the other Party shall be accorded treatment no 
less favourable than that accorded to like domestic products in respect of all laws, 
regulations and requirements affecting their internal sale, offering for sale, purchase, 
transportation, distribution or use. The provi sions of this paragraph shall not prevent 
the application of differential internal  transportation char ges which are based 
exclusively on the economic operation of the means of transport and not on the 
origin of the product. 
3. Neither Party shall establish or maintain any internal quantitative regulation relating 
to the mixture, processing or use of pr oducts in specified amounts or proportions 
which requires, directly or i ndirectly, that any specified amount or proportion of any 
product which is the subject of the regulation must be supplied from domestic 
sources. Moreover, neither Party shall otherwise apply internal quantitative 
regulations so as to afford protection to domestic production. 
4. The provisions of this Article shall not apply to laws, regulations, procedures or 
practices governing Government procurem ent as covered in articles 67 to 71. 
Article 25 
Anti-fraud cooperation  
1. The Parties agree that administrative co-operation is essential for the implementation 
and the control of the preferential treat ment granted under this Title and underline 
their commitment to combat irregularities and fraud in customs and related matters. 
2. Where a Party has made a finding, on the ba sis of objective information, of a failure 
to provide administrative co-operation and/ or of irregularities or fraud under this 
Title, the Party concerned may temporarily suspend the relevant preferential treatment of the product( s) concerned in accordance with this Article. 
3. For the purpose of this Article a failure to provide administrative co-operation shall 
mean, inter alia : 
a) a repeated failure to respect the obliga tions to verify the originating status of 
the product(s) concerned; 
b) a repeated refusal or undue delay in  carrying out and/or  communicating the 
results of subsequent verificat ion of the proof  of origin; 
c) a repeated refusal or  undue delay in obtaining authorisation to conduct 
administrative co-operation missions to ve rify the authenticity of documents or 
accuracy of information relevant to the granting of the prefer ential treatment in 
question. 
For the purpose of this Ar ticle a finding of irregularities or fraud may be made, inter alia , 
where there is a rapid increase, without sa tisfactory explanation, in imports of goods 
exceeding the usual level of production and export capacity of the other Party that is linked to 
objective information concerni ng irregularities or fraud. 
 
EN 24   EN 4. The application of a temporary suspen sion shall be subject to the following 
conditions: 
a) The Party which has made a finding, on the basis of objective information, of a 
failure to provide administrative co-opera tion and/or of irregularities or fraud 
in customs and related matters, the Party concerned shall without undue delay notify the Association Committee of its finding together with the objective information and enter into consultations  within the Association Committee, on 
the basis of all relevant information and objective findings, with a view to 
reaching a solution acceptable to both Parties. 
b) Where the Parties have entered into  consultations within the Association 
Committee as above and have failed to agree on an acceptable solution within 3 months following the no tification, the Party concerned may temporarily 
suspend the relevant preferential tr eatment of the product(s) concerned. A 
temporary suspension shall be notified to the Association Committee without 
undue delay. 
c) Temporary suspensions under this articl e shall be limited to that necessary to 
protect the financial interests of the Pa rty concerned. They shall not exceed a 
period of six months, which may be renewed. Temporary suspensions shall be notified immediately after their adopti on to the Association Committee. They 
shall be subject to periodic consultations within the Association Committee in particular with a view to  their termination as soon as the conditions for their 
application are no longer given. 
5. At the same time as the notification to the Association Committee under paragraph  
4 (a) of this Article, the Party concerned should publish a notice to importers in its 
Official Journal. The notice to importer s should indicate for the product concerned 
that there is a finding, on the basis of objective information, of a failure to provide 
administrative co-operation and/or  of irregularities or fraud. 
Article 26 
Application of the provisions of this Agr eement shall be without  prejudice to Council 
Regulation (EEC) N° 1911/91 of 26 June 1991 and Council Regulation (EC) N° 704/2002 of 
25 March 2002 on the application of the provision s of Community law to the Canary Islands. 
Article 27 
1. The Agreement shall not preclude the maintenance or establishment of customs 
unions, free trade areas or arra ngements for frontier trade, except insofar as they alter 
the trade arrangements provided for in the Agreement. 
2. Consultation between the Community a nd Syria shall take place within the 
Association Council concerning agreements establishing customs unions or free trade 
areas and, where appropriate, on other major issues related to their respective trade policy with third countries. In particular, in  the event of a third country acceding to 
the Union, such consultation shall take pla ce so as to ensure that account may be 
taken of the mutual interests of the Community and Syria. 
 
EN 25   EN Article 28 
1. If one of the Parties finds that dumping is taking place in trade with the other Party 
within the meaning of Article VI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, it may take appropriate measures against th is practice in accordance with the WTO 
Agreement on the implementation of Article VI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and related internal legislation. 
2. This Article will not be subject to the pr ovisions of Title V (Dispute Settlement) of 
this Agreement. 
Article 29 
1. The WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Counter vailing Measures sh all be applicable 
between the Parties. 
2. If either Party finds that subsidy is taki ng place in trade with th e other party within 
the meanings of Articles VI and XVI of the GATT 1994, it may invoke appropriate 
measures against this practice in accordance with the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures and related internal  legislation. 
3. This Article will not be subject to the pr ovisions of Title V (Dispute Settlement) of 
this Agreement. 
Article 30 
1. The provisions of the Article XIX GATT 1994 and the WTO Agreement on 
Safeguards are applicable between the Parties. 
2. Before applying safeguard measures pursu ant to the provisions of the Article XIX 
GATT 1994 and the WTO Agreement on Safegua rds, the Party intending to apply 
such measures shall supply the Associati on Committee with all relevant information 
required for a thorough examination of the situ ation with a view to seeking a solution 
acceptable to the Parties. 
In order to find such a solu tion, the Parties shall imme diately from the date of 
receiving the request from the requesting party  hold consultations within the 
Association Committee. If, as a result of th e consultations, the Parties do not reach an 
agreement within thirty days of the initiation of the consultations on a solution to avoid the application of the safeguard measures, the Party intending to apply 
safeguard measures may apply the provisi ons of the Article XIX GATT 1994 and the 
WTO Agreement on Safeguards. 
3. In the selection of safeguard measures purs uant this article, the Parties shall give 
priority to those, which cause least distur bance to the achieveme nt of the objectives 
of this Agreement. Such measures shall not  exceed what is necessary to remedy the 
serious injury, and shall preserve the level of pr eference granted under this 
Agreement. 
 
EN 26   EN 4. Safeguard measures shall be notified im mediately to the Association Committee and 
shall be the subject of periodic consultations within the Committee, particularly with a view to their abolition as soon as circumstances permit. 
5. This Article will not be subject to the pr ovisions of Title V (Dispute Settlement) of 
this Agreement. 
Article 31 
1. Where compliance with the provisions of this title leads to: 
re-export towards a third country of a product agai nst which the exporting party 
maintains quantitative export restrictions , export duties, or measures having 
equivalent effect, or 
a serious shortage, or threat  thereof, of foodstuffs or of a product essential to the 
exporting Party; 
and where the situations above referred to give  rise, or are likely to give rise to major 
difficulties for the exporting Party, that Party may take appropriate measures under the conditions and in accordance with the procedures laid down in paragraph 2. 
2. In the selection of measures , priority must be given to those which least disturb the 
functioning of the arrangements in this Agreement. The measures shall be non 
discriminatory nor a disguised restriction on trade, and shall be eliminated when the conditions no longer justify their maintenan ce. In addition, the measures which may 
be adopted shall not operate to increase the exports of or the protection afforded to 
domestic industry processing the goods concerned by the measures. 
3. Before taking the measures provided for in  paragraph 1 and 2 of this Article or, as 
soon as possible in cases to which paragraph 4 of this Article a pplies, the Community 
or Syria, as the case may be, shall s upply the Association Committee with the 
relevant information, with a view to seeki ng a solution acceptable to the parties. The 
difficulties arising from the situations referred to in paragraph 1 shall be submitted 
for examination to the Association Co mmittee. The Committee may take any 
decision needed to put an end to the difficulties. If it has not taken such a decision within thirty days of the matter being refe rred to it, the exporting Party may apply 
appropriate measures on the expor tation of the product concerned. 
4. Where exceptional and critical circumst ances requiring immediate action make prior 
information or examination, as the case may be impossible, the Community or Syria, 
whichever is concerned, may apply forthw ith the precautionary measures necessary 
to deal with the situation and shall inform the other Party immediately thereof. 
5. Any measures applied pursuant to this Ar ticle shall be immediately notified to the 
Association Committee and shall be subject of period of consultations within that body, particularly with a view to  establish a timetable for th eir elimination as soon as 
circumstances permit. 
 
EN 27   EN Article 32 
Nothing in this Agreement shall preclude prohi bitions or restrictions on imports, exports or 
goods in transit justified on ground s of public morality, public policy or public  security, of the 
protection of health and life of humans, animals or plants; the protecti on of national treasures 
possessing artistic, historic or archaeological value; the conser vation of exhaustible natural 
resources; the protection of intellectual, industrial and comme rcial property or regulations 
concerning gold and silver. Such prohibitions or restrictions shall not, however, constitute a 
means of arbitrary discrimination or a disguise d restriction on trade between the Parties. 
Article 33 
The concept of "originating products" for the app lication of the provisions of the present Title 
and the methods of administrative co-operation relating to them are se t out in Protocol 6. 
Article 34 
The Combined Nomenclature shall be used for the classification of goods for imports into the 
Community. The Syrian customs tariff shall be applied to the classi fication of goods for 
imports into Syria. 
Article 35 
Syria shall aim at entering into negotiations wi th the countries having a customs union with 
the EU in view of establishi ng with these countries  the same trade regime as in this 
Association Agreement for all ar eas covered by the customs union. 
CHAPTER 3 
CUSTOMS AND RELATED MATTERS 
Article 36 
Objectives  
Parties recognise that the full implementation of the trade provisions and the consequent 
mutual benefits of enhanced tr ade flows resulting from tariff liberalisation should be flanked 
by efficient customs services. To this end, Parties agree that cu stoms legislation and 
procedures shall be based upon simplification, harmonisation and computerisation, as well as 
upon the principles of non-discrimination, transp arency and the need to avoid unnecessary 
procedural obstacles to trade. By these m eans parties commit themselves to facilitating 
legitimate trade, and effective controls  to combat fraud and illicit trade. 
 
EN 28   EN Article 37 
Customs and administrative cooperation  
1. In order to ensure compliance with the pr ovisions of this Title, and effectively 
respond to the objectives la id down in Article 1, th e Parties shall base their 
cooperation upon the following prin ciples and undertake to : 
a) exchange information concerning customs legislation and procedures; 
b) ensure the correct  application of customs rules and procedures agreed by the 
Parties at a bilateral or multilateral level; 
c) collaborate on legislative and operationa l initiatives relating to import, export 
and customs procedures, as well as toward s ensuring an effective service to the 
business community; 
d) cooperate on the computerisation of customs procedures and collaborate, where 
appropriate towards the establ ishment of common standards; 
e) provide and ensure the freedom of  transhipment opera tions and transit 
movements through their resp ective territories, in accordance with Article V of 
the GATT (1994) and implement agreed re levant international and/or regional 
standards and instruments applicable to transit; 
f) ensure that all administrative fees and charges levied in respect of importation 
and exportation, are published in advance and are commensurate with services 
given, in accordance with Article VIII of GATT (1994); 
g) establish as far as possible, common positions in international organisations in 
the field of customs such as th e WTO, WCO, UN and UNCTAD; and 
h) cooperate where appropriate on technical  assistance, including the organisation 
of seminars and placements. 
2. Notwithstanding paragraph 1, the administ rations of both Parties shall provide 
mutual administrative assistance in customs matters in accordance with the 
provisions of Protocol 7.  
Article 38 
Customs and legislative procedures  
1. The Parties agree that their respective tr ade and customs provisions and procedures 
shall be based upon: 
a) the protection of legitimate trade through effective enforcement and 
compliance of legislative requirements; 
 
EN 29   EN b) legislation that avoids unnecessary  burdens on economic operators, safeguards 
against fraud, and provides further facil itation for high levels of compliance; 
c) each Party having a uniform Custom s Code, applicable throughout its 
respective territory; 
d) the application of modern customs techniques, including risk assessment, 
simplified procedures for entry and release of goods, post release controls, and company audit methods; 
e) procedures that are transparent, e fficient and simplified, in order to reduce 
costs and increase predictability for economic operators, including small and 
medium sized companies; 
f) the development of Information Technology-based systems, drawing upon 
international standards, for both export  and import operations, to replace paper-
based procedures and to enable the elect ronic exchange of all official data 
between traders and customs administrations, as well as between customs and other agencies, in order to facilitate the provision of  rapid release procedures. 
Such systems may also provide for the pa yment of duties, taxes and other fees 
by electronic transfer; 
g) rules and procedures that provide  for advance binding rulings on customs 
matters, notably on tariff classification and rules of origin. A ruling may be 
modified or revoked at any time but onl y after notific ation to th e affected 
operator and without retroactive effect unless the ruling has been made on the 
basis of incorrect or incomple te information being provided; 
h) simplified procedures for authorised  traders according to objective and non-
discriminatory criteria, and which can be met by compliant small and medium 
sized enterprises as well as larger operators; 
i) import provisions that do not include any requirements for pre-shipment 
inspections as defined by the WTO Ag reement on Pre-shipment Inspection; 
and 
j) rules that ensure that any penaltie s imposed for minor breaches of customs 
regulations or procedural requ irements be proportionate and non-
discriminatory and, in their applicati on, do not result in unwarranted delays, 
pursuant to Article VI II of the GATT (1994). 
2. In order to improve working methods, a void unnecessary procedural obstacles to 
trade, as well as to ensure non-discrimina tion, transparency, efficiency, integrity and 
accountability of operations , the Parties shall : 
a) simplify requirements and formalities in respect of the release and clearance of 
goods; this shall include collaboration on the developmen t of procedures 
enabling the submission of import or export data to a single agency; and co-ordination between customs and other contro l agencies so as to enable official 
controls upon import or expor t to be carried out, as fa r as possible, by a single 
agency. 
 
EN 30   EN b) take further steps towards the reduction , simplification and standardisation  of 
data and documentation required by cust oms and other agenci es, including the 
use of a Single Administrative Docume nt (SAD) and data message, based on 
international standards  and relying as far as possibl e on commercially available 
information.  
c) apply the international rules and standa rds in the field of customs, including the 
substantive elements of the revised K yoto Convention on the simplification and 
harmonisation of customs procedures.  
d) provide effective, prompt and non-disc riminatory procedures enabling the right 
of appeal, against customs and other ag ency administrative actions, rulings and 
decisions affecting import or export of goods, in conformity with Article X of 
the GATT (1994). 
e) ensure that the highest standard s of integrity be maintained, through 
application of measures reflecting the principles of the relevant international conventions and instruments in this field. 
Article 39 
Relations with the Business Community
 
The Parties agree : 1) on the need for timely consultation with trade representatives on legislative proposals 
and general procedures related to customs a nd trade issues. To th at end, appropriate 
consultation mechanisms between administra tions and the business community, shall 
be established by each Party; 
2) to publish, as far as possible through el ectronic means, and pub licise new legislation 
and general procedures related to  customs and trade issues prior  to the introduction 
of any such legislation and pr ocedures, as well as change s to and interp retations of 
such legislation and procedures. They sha ll also make publicly available relevant 
notices of an administrative nature, including agency requirements and entry 
procedures, hours of operation and operating procedures for customs offices at ports 
and border crossing points, and points of  contact for information enquiries; 
3) to foster co-operation betw een operators and relevant ad ministrations via the use of 
non-arbitrary and publicly accessible Memoranda of Understanding, based on those 
promulgated by the WCO; 
4) to ensure that their respective custom s and related requirements and procedures 
continue to meet the needs of the trad ing community, follow best practices, and 
where changes in circumstances allow the objectives of those requirements or 
procedures to be achieved in a less burdenso me or trade restrictive manner, to adjust 
those procedures accordingly. 
 
EN 31   EN Article 40 
Customs valuation  
1. The WTO Customs Valuation Agreement, w ithout reserves and options, shall govern 
customs valuation rules applied to re ciprocal trade between the Parties. 
2. The Parties shall cooperate with a view to reaching a common a pproach to issues 
relating to customs valuation, in particular the elaboration of a "code of good practice" in relation to working methods  and operational aspects, the use of 
indicative or reference indices, appropriate  documentation to certify the accuracy of 
the customs value and the use of securities. 
Article 41 
Review
 
Provisions laid down in articles 38 to 40 wi ll be subject to yearly stocktaking by the 
Association Committee. 
Article 42 
Special committee on customs  
1. The Parties hereby establish a Special Committee on Customs Cooperation and Rules 
of Origin, composed of repr esentatives of the Parties. The Committee shall meet on a 
date and with an agenda agreed in advance by the Parties. The office of chairperson of the Committee shall be held alternat ely by each of the Parties. The Committee 
shall report to the Association Committee. 
2. The functions of the Committee shall include : 
a) monitoring the implementation and admi nistration of this section and of the 
Protocol on rules of origin; 
b) providing a forum to consult and disc uss on all issues c oncerning customs, 
including in particular customs proce dures, customs valuation, tariff regimes, 
customs nomenclature, customs coope ration and mutual administrative 
assistance in customs matters; 
c) providing a forum to consult and discu ss on issues relating to rules of origin 
and administrative cooperation; 
d) enhancing cooperation on the developm ent, application an d enforcement of 
customs procedures, mutual administrativ e assistance in customs matters, rules 
of origin and admini strative cooperation. 
3. The Parties may agree to hold ad hoc mee tings for customs cooperation or for rules 
of origin and mutual administrative assistance .  
 
EN 32   EN TITLE III 
RIGHT OF ESTABLISHMENT AND SERVICES 
CHAPTER 1 
RIGHT OF ESTABLISHMENT 
Article 43 
1. a) The Community and its Member States  shall grant for the establishment of 
Syrian companies treatment no less fa vourable than that accorded to like 
companies of any third country; 
b) without prejudice to the re servations listed in Annex III, the Comm unity and its 
Member States shall grant to subsidiaries of Syrian companies established in a Member State treatment no less favourable than that accorded to any like Community company, in respect of their operations; 
c) the Community and its Member States  shall grant to branches of Syrian 
companies, established in a Member St ate, treatment no less favourable than 
that accorded to like branches of compan ies of any third country, in respect of 
their operations. 
2. (a) without prejudice to the reservations listed in Annex IV, Syria shall grant for 
the establishment of Community companies in its territory treatment no less favourable than that accorded to like Sy rian companies or to  companies of any 
third country, whichever is the better; 
b) Syria shall grant to subsidiaries of  Community companies established in its 
territory, treatment no less favourable th an that accorded  to like Syrian 
companies, in respect of their operations; 
c) Syria shall grant to branches of Community companies established in its 
territory, treatment no less favourable than  that accorded to like branches of 
companies of any third country, in respect of their operations. 
3. The provisions of paragraphs 1(b) and 2(b)  cannot be used so as to circumvent a 
Party's legislation and regulati ons applicable to access to specific sectors or activities 
by subsidiaries or branches of companie s of the other Party established in the 
territory of such first Party. 
The treatment referred to in paragraphs 1( b), 1(c) and 2(b) sha ll benefit companies, 
subsidiaries, and branches established in the Community and Syria respectively at the date of entry into force of this Agreement and companies, subsidiaries and branches established after that date once they are established. 
 
EN 33   EN Article 44 
1. The provisions of Article 43 shall not a pply to air transport,  inland waterways 
transport and maritime transport. 
2. However, in respect of activities undert aken by shipping agencies for the provision 
of international maritime transport services, including multi-modal activities involving a sea leg, each Party shall permit to the companies of the other Party their commercial presence in its te rritory in the form of subs idiaries or branches, under 
conditions of establishment and operation no less favourable than those accorded to 
its own companies or to subs idiaries or branches of co mpanies of any third country 
whichever are the better. Such activities include, but are not limited to: 
a) marketing and sales of maritime trans port and related services through direct 
contact with customers, fr om quotation to invoicing, wh ether these services are 
operated or offered by the service supplie r itself or by service suppliers with 
which the service seller has establ ished standing business arrangements; 
b) purchase and use, on their own account or  on behalf of their customer (and the 
resale to their customers) of any tr ansport and related services, including 
inward transport services by any mode, pa rticularly inland waterways, road and 
rail, necessary for the supply of an integrated service; 
c) preparation of documentation concerning transport documents, customs 
documents, or other documents related to  the origin and character of the goods 
transported; 
d) provision of business information of  any means, including computerised 
information systems and electronic data interchange (subject to any 
non-discriminatory restrictions concerning telecommunications); 
e) setting up of any business arrangem ent, including participation in the 
company's stock and the appointment of personnel recruited locally (or, in the 
case of foreign personnel, s ubject to the relevant provi sions of this Agreement), 
with any locally established shipping agency; 
f) acting on behalf of the companies, orga nising the call of the ship or taking over 
cargoes when required. 
Article 45 
For the purpose of this Agreement: 
a) a "Community company" or "Syria n company" respectively shall mean a 
company set up in accordance with the la ws of a Member State or of Syria 
respectively and having its registered office or central administration or 
principal place of business in the te rritory of the Community or Syria 
respectively. 
 However, should the company, set up in accordance with the laws of a Member 
State or Syria respectively, have only its re gistered office in the territory of the 
 
EN 34   EN Community or Syria respectively, th e company shall be considered a 
Community or Syrian company respectivel y if its operations possess a real and 
continuous link with the economy of one  of the Member States or Syria 
respectively; 
b) "subsidiary" of a company shall mean  a company which is controlled by the 
first company; 
c) "branch" of a company shall mean a place of business not having legal 
personality which has the appearance of permanency, such as the extension of 
a parent body, has a management and is  materially equipped to negotiate 
business with third parties so that the latter, although knowing that there will if necessary be a legal link with the pare nt body, the head o ffice of which is 
abroad, do not have to d eal directly with such pa rent body but may transact 
business at the place of business constituting the extension; 
d) "establishment" shall mean the right of Community or Syrian companies as 
referred to in point (a) to take up economic activities by means of the setting up of subsidiaries and branches in Syri a or in the Community respectively; 
e) "operation" shall mean the pursuit of economic activities; 
f) "economic activities" shall mean activ ities of an industrial, commercial and 
professional character; 
g) "national of a Member State or of Sy ria" shall mean a physical person who is a 
national of one of the Member St ates or of Syria respectively; 
h) with regard to international maritime transport, including inter-modal 
operations involving a sea leg, nationals of the Member Stat es or of Syria 
established outside the Community or Syria respectively, and shipping 
companies established outside the Co mmunity or Syria and controlled by 
nationals of a Member State or Syrian nationals respectively, shall also be 
beneficiaries of the provisions of this Ch apter and Chapter 2 if their vessels are 
registered in that Member State or in  Syria respectively in accordance with 
their respective legislation. 
Article 46 
1. The Parties shall use their best endeavour s to avoid taking any measures or actions 
which render the conditions for the establishment and operation of each other's companies more restrictive than the situa tion existing on the day preceding the date 
of signature of the Agreement. 
2. The provisions of this Article are wit hout prejudice to those of Article 57. The 
situations covered by Article 57 shall be solely governed by its provisions to the 
exclusion of any other. 
 
EN 35   EN Article 47 
1. A Community company or Syrian company esta blished in the territory of Syria or the 
Community respectively shall be entitled to  employ, or have employed by one of its 
subsidiaries or branches, in accordance w ith the legislation in force in the host 
country of establishment, in the territor y of Syria and the Community respectively, 
employees who are nationals of Community Member States and Syria respectively, 
provided that such employees are key pers onnel as defined in paragraph 2, and that 
they are employed exclusively by such comp anies, subsidiaries or branches. The 
residence and work permits of such employees shall onl y cover the period of such 
employment. 
2. Key personnel of the above mentione d companies herein referred to as 
"organisations" are "intra-corporate transf erees" as defined in (c) in the following 
categories, provided that th e organisation is a legal pe rson and that the persons 
concerned have been employed by it or have been partners in it (other than as 
majority shareholders), for at least the year immediately prece ding such movement : 
a) persons working in a senior position w ith an organisation, who primarily direct 
the management of the establishment, receiving general supervision or direction principally from the board of di rectors or stockholder s of the business 
or their equivalent, including : 
directing the establishment or a de partment or sub-division of the 
establishment; 
supervising and controlling the work of  other supervisory, professional or 
managerial employees; 
having the authority personally to recruit and dismiss or recommend recruiting, 
dismissing or other personnel actions; 
b) persons working within an orga nisation who possess uncommon knowledge 
essential to the establishment's service,  research equipment, techniques or 
management. The assessment of such knowledge may reflect, apart from knowledge specific to the establishment,  a high level of qualification referring 
to a type of work or tr ade requiring specific tec hnical knowledge , including 
membership of an accredited profession; 
c) an "intra-corporate transferee" is defi ned as a natural person working within an 
organisation in the territory of a Party, and being temporarily transferred in the 
context of pursuit of economi c activities in the territory  of the other Party; the 
organisation concerned must have its prin cipal place of business in the territory 
of a Party and the transfer be to an es tablishment (branch, subsidiary) of that 
organisation, effectively pursuing like ec onomic activities in th e territory of the 
other Party. 
3. The entry into and the temporary presence within the respective territories of Syria 
and the Community of nationals of the Memb er States or of Syria respectively, shall 
be permitted, when these representatives of companies are persons working in a senior position, as defined in paragra ph 2(a) above, within a company, and are 
 
EN 36   EN responsible for the establishment of a Syrian or a Community company, in the 
Community or Syria respectively, when : 
a) those representatives are not engage d in making direct sales or supplying 
services, and 
b) the company has no other representative , office, branch or subsidiary in a 
Community Member State or Syria respectively. 
Article 48 
In order to make it easier for Community nationa ls and Syrian nationals to take up and pursue 
regulated professional activities in Syria an d the Community respectively, the Association 
Council shall examine what step s are necessary to be taken to provide for the mutual 
recognition of qualifications. 
Article 49 
The provisions of Article 43 do not preclude the appl ication by a Party of  particular rules 
concerning the establishment a nd operation in its te rritory of branches of companies of 
another Party not incorporated in the territory of  the first Party, which are justified by legal or 
technical differences between such branches  as compared to branches of companies 
incorporated in its territory or, as regards financial services, for prudential reasons. The difference in treatment shall not go beyond what is strictly necessary as a result of such legal 
or technical differences or , as regards financial serv ices, for prudential reasons. 
CHAPTER 2 
CROSS-BORDER SUPPLY OF SERVICES 
Article 50 
1. The Parties shall use their best endea vours to allow progressively the supply of 
services by Community or Syrian companies who are established in the territory of a 
Party other than that of th e person for whom the services are intended, taking into 
account the development of the serv ices sectors in the Parties. 
2. The Association Council shall make recomm endations for the im plementation of the 
objective mentioned in paragraph 1. 
Article 51 
With a view to assuring a co-ordinated develo pment of transport between the Parties, adapted 
to their commercial needs, the conditions of mu tual market access and provision of services in 
transport by air, road, rail and inland waterway s may be dealt with by specific agreements 
where appropriate negotiated between the Parties after the entry into force of this Agreement. 
 
EN 37   EN Article 52 
1. With regard to maritime transport the Parties undertake to apply effectively the 
principle of unrestricted access to the international market and traffic on a 
commercial basis. 
a) The Parties shall continue to effectively apply the principle of unrestricted 
access to the international maritime market and trade on a commercial and non-discriminatory basis; 
b) the Parties affirm their commitment to a freely competitive environment as 
being an essential feature of the dry and liquid bulk trade.  
2. In applying the principles of paragraph 1, the Parties shall : 
a) not introduce cargo -sharing arrangements in future  bilateral Agreements with 
third countries concerning dry and liquid bulk and liner trade. However, this 
does not exclude the possibility of such  arrangements concerning liner cargo in 
those exceptional circumstances where liner shipping companies from one or other Party to this Agreement woul d not otherwise have an effective 
opportunity to apply for trade to and from the third country concerned; 
b) upon  entry into force of this Agreement , abolish and abstain from introducing 
any unilateral measures  and administrative, technical and other obstacles which 
could  have  restrictive or  discriminatory effects on the free supply of services in 
international maritime transport. 
Each Party shall grant, inter-alia, a treatment no less favourable than that accorded to its own 
ships, for the ships used for the transport of  goods, passengers or both, flying the Flag of, or 
operated by nationals or companies of the other Party, with respect to access to ports, the use 
of infrastructure and auxiliary maritime services  of those ports, as well as related fees and 
charges, customs facilities and the assignment of berths and facilities for loading and 
unloading. 
CHAPTER 3 
GENERAL PROVISIONS 
Article 53 
1. The Parties undertake to consider developm ent of this Title with a view to the 
establishment of an "economic integration agreement" as defined in Article V of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). 
2. The objective provided for in paragraph 1 sh all be subject to a first examination by 
the Association Council at the latest five years after the entry into force of this 
Agreement. 
3. The Association Council shall, when maki ng such examination, take into account 
progress made in the approximation of laws  between the Parties in the relevant 
activities. 
 
EN 38   EN Article 54 
1. The provisions of this Title shall be applied subject to limitations justified on 
grounds of public policy, public security or public health. 
2. They shall not apply to activities which in the territory of either  Party are connected, 
even occasionally, with the exer cise of official authority. 
Article 55 
For the purpose of this Title, nothing in this Agreement shall prevent the Parties from 
applying their laws and regula tions regarding entry and sta y, work, labour conditions and 
establishment of natural persons and supply of services, provided that, in so doing, they do 
not apply them in a manner as to nullify or im pair the benefits accruing to any Party under the 
terms of a specific provision of the Agreemen t. This provision do es not prejudice the 
application of Article 54. 
Article 56 
Companies which are controlled and exclusiv ely owned by Syrian companies and Community 
companies jointly shall also be benefici aries of the provisions of this Title. 
Article 57 
Treatment granted by either Part y to the other hereunder shall,  in respect of sectors or 
measures covered by the GATS, in no case be mo re favourable than th at accorded by such 
first Party under the provisions of the GATS a nd this in respect of  each service sector, 
sub-sector and mode of supply. 
Article 58 
For the purpose of this Title, no account shal l be taken of treatment accorded by the 
Community, its Member States or Syria pursuant to commitments entered into in economic integration agreements in accordance with the principles of Article V of the GATS. 
Article 59 
1. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Agreement, a Party shall not be 
prevented from taking measures for prude ntial reasons, includi ng for the protection 
of investors, depositors, polic y holders or persons to whom  a fiduciary duty is owed 
by a financial service su pplier, or to ensure the integrity  and stability of the financial 
system. Where such measures do not conform with the provisions of the Agreement, 
they shall not be used as a means of a voiding the obligations  of a Party under the 
Agreement. 
 
EN 39   EN 2. Nothing in the Agreement shall be construed to require a Party to disclose 
information relating to the affairs and accounts of individual customers or any confidential or proprietary informati on in the possession of public entities. 
Article 60 
The provisions of this Agreement shall not pr ejudice the applicatio n by each Party of any 
measures necessary to prevent the circumven tion of its measures concerning third country 
access to its market, through the pr ovisions of this Agreement. 
 
EN 40   EN TITLE IV 
PAYMENTS, CAPITAL MOVEMENT S AND OTHER ECONOMIC MATTERS 
CHAPTER 1 
PAYMENTS AND CAPITAL MOVEMENTS  
Article 61 
Subject to the provisions of Artic le 63, the Parties undertake to allow all current payments for 
current transactions to be made  in a freely convertible currency.  
Article 62 
1. With regard to transactions on the cap ital account of balance of payments, the 
Community and Syria shall ensure, from the en try into force of this agreement, that 
capital relating to foreign direct invest ments in Syria in companies formed in 
accordance with current laws and inve stments made in accordance with the 
provisions of the Title on Establishment a nd Services can move freely, and that the 
yield from such investments and any profit stemming therefrom can be freely 
liquidated and repatriated. 
2. The Parties shall consult each other w ith a view to facilitating, and further 
liberalising, the movement of capital between the Community and Syria. 
Article 63 
Where one or more Member States of the Co mmunity or Syria face or risk facing serious 
difficulties concerning balance of payments, th e Community and Syria respectively may, in 
conformity with the conditions  laid down within the fram ework of the GATT and with 
Articles VIII and XIV of the Articles of  Agreement of the Interna tional Monetary Fund, take 
restrictive measures with regard  to current payments if such measures are strictly necessary. 
The Community or Syria, as appropriate, shall inform the other Party immediately thereof and 
shall provide as soon as possible a timetab le for the removal of such measures. 
CHAPTER 2 
COMPETITION 
Article 64 
1. The following are incompatible with the pr oper functioning of the Agreement, in so 
far as they may affect trade be tween the Community and Syria: 
 
EN 41   EN a) all agreements between undertakings, decisions by associations of undertakings 
and concerted practices betw een undertakings which ha ve as their object or 
effect the prevention, restricti on or distortion of competition; 
b) abuse by one or more undertakings of  a dominant position in the territories of 
the Community or Syria as a whole or  in a substantial part thereof. 
2. The Parties will co-operate in the en forcement of their respective competition 
legislation and shall exchange informa tion taking into acc ount the limitations 
imposed by the requirements of professional and business secrecy. The modalities for this co-operation ar e set out in Annex V. 
3. If the Community or Syria considers that a particular practice is incompatible with 
the terms of the first paragraph of this Article, and if such practice causes or threatens to cause serious prejudice to th e other Party it may take appropriate 
measures after consultation within the Asso ciation Committee or after thirty working 
days following referral for such consultation. 
Article 65 
The Member States and Syria shall progressively adjust , without prejudice to their 
commitments respectively taken or to be taken under the GATT, any State monopolies of a commercial character, so as to ensure that, by th e end of the fifth year following the entry into 
force of this Agreement, no discrimination regarding the conditions under which goods are 
procured and marketed exists  between nationals of the Member States and Syria. The 
Association Committee will be informed about  the measures adopted to implement this 
objective. 
Article 66 
With regard to public enterprises and enterpri ses to which special or exclusive rights have 
been granted, the Association Council shall ensu re that as from the fifth year following the 
date of entry into force of this Agreement there is neither enacted nor maintained  any measure 
distorting trade between the Comm unity and Syria to an extent  contrary to the Parties' 
interests. This provision should not obstruct the perf ormance in law or in fact of the particular 
tasks assigned to these enterprises. 
CHAPTER 3 
GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT 
Article 67 
Government Procurement
 
1. The Parties shall set as th eir objective the effective, reciprocal and gradual opening 
of the government procurement markets. 
 
EN 42   EN 2. Each Party shall ensure th at the procurement of its entities covered in Annex VII 
takes place in a transparent, reasonable an d non-discriminatory manner, according to 
the definition provided in Annex VII, trea ting any supplier of e ither Party equally 
and ensuring the principle of open and effective competition. 
3. With respect to any laws, regulations , procedures, and practices regarding 
government procurement, as well as specific procurements, covered by this Agreement, each Party shall grant the goods, se rvices and suppliers of the other Party 
a treatment no less favourable than that ac corded by it to domestic goods, services 
and suppliers. 
4. With respect to any laws, regulations, procedures and practices regarding 
government procurement, as well as specific procurements, covered by this Agreement, each Party shall ensure th at its entities listed in Annex VII: 
a) do not treat a locally-e stablished supplier less fa vourably than any other 
locally-established supplier on the basis of the degree of  foreign affiliation to, 
or ownership by, a person of the other Party; and 
b) do not discriminate against a locally- established supplier on the basis that the 
goods or services offered by that supplier for a particular procurement are goods or services of the other Party. 
5. With respect to any laws, regulations, procedures and practices regarding 
government procurement, as well as specific procurements, opened to goods, services and suppliers of third countri es, Syria shall provi de to the goods and 
suppliers of the other Party treatment no less favourable than that accorded to foreign goods, services and suppliers of any third country. 
With respect to all laws, regulations, pro cedures and practices regarding government 
procurement covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA), the 
European Communities shall provide immediately and unconditionally to the goods, 
services and suppliers from Syria treatment no less favourable than that accorded to 
goods, services and suppliers of  the Parties to the GPA. 
6. The Parties will regularly re view the effective opening of procurement markets and 
in no later than three years will enter into negotiations aiming at extending the list of covered entities in Annex VII. 
7. Nothing in this article shall be construed: 
to require a Party to furnish any information the disclosure of which it considers 
contrary to its essential security interest; 
to prevent a Party from taki ng any action it considers nece ssary for the protection of 
its essential security  interests relating to government  procurement indispensable for 
national security or for national defence purposes. 
8. This article shall not be applicable to contracts awarded pursuant to: 
an international agreement intended for the joint implementation or exploitation of a 
project by the cont racting parties; 
 
EN 43   EN an international agr eement relating to the stationing of troops; 
the particular procedures of an international organization; 
a non-contractual agreement or any form of  government assistance and procurement 
made in the framework of assist ance or co-operation programmes. 
Article 68 
Transparency of Government Procurement  
1. Each Party shall promptly publish any law, regulation, judicial decision and 
administrative ruling of general applica tion and procedure, including standard 
contract clauses, regarding procurement covered by this Title in the appropriate publications referred to in  Annex VII including official ly designated electronic 
media. 
2. Each Party shall promptly publish in th e same manner all modifications to such 
measures. 
3. Each Party shall ensure that its entities  provide for effective dissemination of the 
tendering opportunities generated by the relevant government procurement 
processes, providing suppliers  of the other Party with al l the information required to 
take part in such procurement. 
4. Dissemination of procurement opportunities shall contain the information as set out 
in Annex VII and shall be published in a timely manner through means which offer 
the widest possible and non-discriminatory access to the interested suppliers of the Parties.  These means are specified in Annex VII. 
Article 69 
Time limits of Government Procurement
 
1. All time-limits established by the entities for the receipt of te nders and requests to 
participate shall be adequate to allow supp liers of the other Part y, as well as domestic 
suppliers, to prepare and to submit tende rs, and where appropriate, requests for 
participation or applications for qualif ying. In determining any such time-limit, 
entities shall, consistent w ith their own reasonable need s, take into account such 
factors as the complexity of the inte nded procurement and the normal time for 
transmitting tenders from foreign as well as domestic points. 
2. Each Party shall ensure that its entities shall take due account of publication delays 
when setting the final date for receipt of te nders or of request for participation or for 
qualifying for the supplier's list. 
3. The minimum time-limits for the receipt of tenders are specified in Annex VII. 
 
EN 44   EN Article 70 
Bid challenges  
1. Each Party shall provide non-discrimina tory, timely, transparent and effective 
procedures enabling suppliers to challenge alleged breaches of this Agreement in the context of procurements in which they have, or have had, an interest. 
2. Challenges shall be heard by an impartia l and independent reviewing authority. A 
reviewing authority which is not a court shall either be subject to judicial review or 
shall have procedural guarantees  similar to those of a court. 
Article 71 
Co-operation and assistance in Government Procurement
 
1. The Parties will co-operate in the ar ea of government procurement by exchanging 
experience and information about best practices and regulatory frameworks. 
2. The Parties shall endeavour to co-opera te with a view to achieve a better 
understanding of their respec tive government procurement systems, as well as a 
better access to their respective markets. 
3. Technical assistance shall be provided upon duly motivated request, in particular 
through jointly develope d training programmes. 
CHAPTER 4 
OTHER ECONOMIC MATTERS 
Article 72 
Intellectual, Indus trial and Commerci al Property Rights  
1. Pursuant to provisions of this article and of Annex VI , the parties shall grant and 
ensure adequate and effective protection of  intellectual, industrial and commercial 
property rights∗ in accordance with the highest international standards including  the 
rules set by the Agreement on Trade-Rela ted Aspects of Intelle ctual Property Rights 
(TRIPS), Annex IC to the agreement esta blishing the World Trade Organization, as 
well as effective means of enforcing such rights. 
                                                 
∗ For the purpose of this Agreement, intellectual, industrial and commercial property rights embody 
copyright, including copyright in computer programs  and in databases, and neighbouring rights, the 
rights related to patents, industrial designs, geographical indications, including appellations of origin, 
indications of source, trademarks, service marks, trade names, layout- designs (topographies) of 
integrated circuits, plant varieties, protection of undisclosed information and the protection against unfair competition as referred to in Article 10 bis of the Paris Convention for the Protection of 
Industrial Property (Stockholm Act 1967), as well as any other rights protected by the multilateral 
conventions listed in Annex VI. 
 
EN 45   EN 2. The implementation of this Article and A nnex VI shall be regularly reviewed by the 
Parties. 
Article 73 
Standards, Technical Regulations, an d Conformity Assessment Procedures  
1. The rights and obligations relating to standa rds, technical regulat ions and conformity 
assessment procedures under the WTO Agreem ent on Technical Barriers to Trade, 
including the provision according to which "members shall ensure that technical 
regulations are not prepared, adopted or applie d with a view to or with the effect of 
creating unnecessary obstacles to in ternational trad e", shall apply. 
2. The Parties shall take appropriate steps to encourage the use by Syria of Community 
technical rules and European standards fo r industrial products and certification 
procedures. 
3. Using the principles set out in paragraph 2 as a basis, the Parties shall, when the 
circumstances are right, conclude ag reements on conformity assessment. 
4. Co-operation shall be aimed at helping Syria to bring its legislation closer to that of 
the Community in this area. 
 
EN 46   EN TITLE V 
DISPUTE SETTLEMENT 
CHAPTER I 
OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE 
Article 74 
Objective  
The objective of this Title is to settle trade disp utes between the Parties with a view to arrive 
at, where possible, mutually agreed solutions. 
Article 75 
Scope  
The provisions of this Title shall apply with  respect to any diffe rences concerning the 
interpretation and application of Titles II to V, including where a Pa rty considers that a 
measure of the other Party is in breach of these Titles, except where otherwise expressly 
provided. 
CHAPTER II 
DISPUTE AVOIDANCE 
CONSULTATIONS AND MEDIATION 
Article 76 
Consultations  
1. The Parties shall endeavour to resolve any differences on the interpretation and 
application of Titles II to V by entering into good faith consultations with the aim of reaching a mutually agreed solution. 
2. A Party shall seek consultations through wr itten request to the other Party, copied to 
the Trade Committee, stating how a measure a dversely affects its ri ghts. The relevant 
provisions of these Titles must also be cited. 
3. Consultations shall be held within 30 days of the request being delivered and will, 
unless the Parties agree otherwise, be held  on the territory of the defending Party. 
The consultations shall be deemed conclude d within 60 calendar days from the date 
of the consultation request, unless both Pa rties agree to conti nue consultations. All 
information disclosed during the consultations shall remain confidential. 
 
EN 47   EN 4. If consultations are not held within the timeframe laid down in paragraph 3, and no 
agreement has been reached on a mutually agreed solution, then the complaining Party may proceed directly to request the establishment of an arbitration panel in 
accordance with Article 78. 
Article 77 
Mediation
 
1. If consultations fail to produce a mutu ally agreed solution, the Parties may, by 
mutual agreement, seek recourse to media tion by a mediator appointed by the Trade 
Committee. Any request for mediation mu st be made in writing, and state the 
measure which has been the subject of consu ltations, as well as the mutually agreed 
terms of reference for the mediation. 
2. The Chairperson of the Trade Committee will  appoint within 10 da ys of receipt of 
the request a mediator selected by lot from the persons included in the list referred to 
in Article 79 paragraph 2 who is not a national of either of the Parties. The mediator 
will convene a meeting with the Parties no later than 30 days after being appointed. 
The mediator will be supplied with the s ubmissions of both part ies no later than 15 
days before the meeting and will issue an  opinion no later than  45 days after having 
been appointed. The mediator’s opinion may include a recommendation on the steps 
that are consistent with these Titles by which the dispute could be resolved. The 
mediator’s opinion will be non-binding. 
3. The time-frames referred to in paragraph 2 above may be amended, should 
circumstances so demand, with the agreement of both Parties. Any amendment must be notified in writing by both Pa rties to the Trade Committee. 
4. In the event that mediati on produces a mutually agreed solution to the dispute, both 
Parties must notify the Trade Committee in writing. 
CHAPTER III 
DISPUTE SETTLEMENT PROCEDURES 
Article 78 
Initiation of the arbitration panel
 
1. Where the Parties have failed to resolve th e dispute by recourse to consultations as 
detailed in Article 76, or where the Parties ha ve had recourse to mediation as detailed 
in Article 77 and no mutually agreed soluti on has been notified within 15 days of the 
issuance of the mediator’s opinion, or if a Party fails to comply with the mutually 
agreed solution, the complaining Party may s eek the establishment of an arbitration 
panel upon written request to the defending Party and simultaneously to the Trade 
Committee. 
2. The complaining party shall state in its re quest the measure it considers to be in 
breach of these Titles and indicate the provisions considered relevant. 
 
EN 48   EN Article 79 
Appointment of arbitrators  
1. An arbitration panel shall be composed of three arbitrators. 2. The Trade Committee shall, no later than six months after the entry into force of this 
Agreement, establish a list of 15 individua ls who are willing and able to serve as 
arbitrators. Each of the Parties may select 5 individuals to serve as arbitrators. The 
two Parties shall agree on 5 individuals that  are not nationals of either Party. The 
Trade Committee will ensure that the list is always maintained at this level. 
3. Arbitrators should have specialised knowledge or experien ce in law and/or 
international trade. They s hould be independent, serve in  their indivi dual capacities 
and not be affiliated with, or take instru ctions from, any organisation or government
9, 
and shall comply with the Code of Conduct set out in Annex VIII. 
Article 80 
Composition of the arbitration panel  
1. Within 10 days from the request for a panel being submitted to the Trade Committee 
the Parties will consult in order to r each agreement on the composition of the 
arbitration panel. In the event that the Parties are unable to agree on its composition within this timeframe, either party may request the chairperson of the Trade Committee, or their delegate, to select all three members by lot, drawing one name from each of the three categories of pane llists (i.e. the list s upplied by each Party 
composed of their own nationals, and the co mbined list of non-nationals of either 
Party). In case the Parties agree on one or  more of the members of the arbitration 
panel, any remaining members shall be appoi nted by lot from the relevant lists. The 
arbitration panel will always be composed of a national from each of the parties and a non-national of either party, th e latter acting as  chairperson. 
2. The date of establishment of the arbitratio n panel shall be the da te on which the three 
arbitrators are selected. 
3. Where a Party considers that an arbitrator  does not comply with  the requirements of 
the Code of Conduct, the Parties shall consu lt, and if so agreed, they shall replace the 
arbitrator and select a replacement pursuant to paragraph 4. In the event that the 
parties fail to agree on the need to replace an  arbitrator, the matter will be referred to 
the chairperson
10 of the arbitration panel whose decision will be final. 
                                                 
9 This does not preclude Government or Civil Servants from being arbitrators. However they should act 
strictly in an ad personam basis and therefore must not take instructions from either their own National 
Government or its agencies. The same applies to  instructions from any source be it an non-
governmental organisation or government of a third country. 
10 Where a Party considers that the chairman of the arbitration panel does not co mply with the Code of 
Conduct, then the matter will be referred to one of  the remaining members of the pool of third country 
nationals, their name being drawn by lot by the Tr ade Committee, unless agreed between the Parties. 
 
EN 49   EN 4. If an arbitrator is unable to participate in the proceed ing, withdraws or is replaced 
pursuant to paragraph 3, a replacement shall be selected within 5 days in accordance 
with the selection procedures followed to appoint the original arbitrator. The panel 
proceedings will be suspended for the period during which this procedure is 
undertaken. 
Article 81 
Rules of Procedure  
1. The Trade Committee shall apply the Rules of Procedure, agreed between the Parties 
and annexed to this Agreement, for the conduct of the arbitration panel proceedings. 
2. The sessions of the arbitration panel sha ll be open to the public in accordance with 
the Rules of Procedure, unless the arbi tration panel of its own motion, or on 
application of the partie s, decides otherwise. 
Article 82 
Information and Technical advice  
At the request of a Party, or upon their own initiative, the panel may obtain information from 
any source it deems appropriate for the panel proceeding. The panel will also have the right to seek the opinion of experts as it deems appropriate. Any inform ation obtained in this manner 
must be disclosed to both Parties. Interested parties shall be authorised to submit amicus 
curiae briefs to the arbitration panels in acco rdance with the Rules of Procedure. 
Article 83 
Applicable Law
 
The arbitration panel shall interpret the prov isions of these Titles in accordance with 
customary rules of interpretation of public in ternational law including the Vienna Convention 
on the Law of Treaties. 
Article 84 
Arbitration panel ruling  
1. The arbitration panel shall transmit its ru ling to the Parties and the Trade Committee 
within ninety days following the establishm ent of the panel. Where it considers that 
this deadline cannot be met, the chairperson of the panel must notify the Trade Committee and Parties in writing, stating the reasons for the delay. Under no circumstances should the ruling be issued later than one hundred and twenty days 
following the establishment of the panel. 
 
EN 50   EN 2. The ruling shall set out the findings of fact, the app licability of the relevant 
provisions of these Titles a nd the basic rationale behind any findings and conclusions 
that it makes. 
3. In cases of urgency, including those involvi ng perishable goods, th e arbitration panel 
shall make every effort to issue its ruling within seventy-five days from the establishment of the panel.  Under no circumstance should it take longer than one 
hundred days from the establishment of the panel. The arbitration panel may give a preliminary ruling within ten days from its establishment on whether it deems the case to be urgent. 
4. All decisions of the arbitr ation panel, including the adop tion of the ruling, shall be 
taken by majority vote. 
5. The complaining Party may withdraw its complaint by written notification to the 
chairpersons of the arbitration panel and the Trade Committee, as well as the other 
Party, at any time before the ruling is transmitted to the Parties and the Trade Committee. Such withdrawal is without pr ejudice to its right to introduce a new 
complaint regarding the same matter at a later point in time. 
6. The arbitration panel may, at the request of both Parties, suspend its work at any time 
for a period not exceeding twelve months. Once the period of twelve months has 
been exceeded, the authority for the establishment of the panel will lapse, without 
prejudice to the right of the complaini ng Party to request at a later stage the 
establishment of a panel on the same subject matter. 
Article 85 
Compliance with Ruling
 
1. Each Party shall take the measures neces sary to comply with the ruling of the 
arbitration panel, and the Parties will ende avour to agree on the time required in 
order to implement the ruling. 
2. No later than 30 days after the issuance of the ruling to the Parties, the defending 
Party shall notify the complaining Party of the time-frame (hereinafter "reasonable period of time") it will requi re for implementation. Both parties should aim to agree 
on the reasonable period of time. 
3. In the event that there is disagreement be tween the Parties on th e reasonable period 
of time to implement the arbitration pa nel’s ruling, the complaining Party shall 
request the Trade Committee to reconvene the original arbi tration panel to determine 
its length. Once convened by the Trade Committ ee, the arbitration panel will issue its 
ruling within 20 days from the date of its re -establishment. In the event the original 
panel, or some of its members, is unable to reconvene, then the procedures detailed 
in Article 80 apply. The period for issuing its ruling in this instance remains 20 days 
from the date of the panel's establishment. 
4. The Party concerned shall notify to th e other Party and to the Trade Committee 
before the end of the reasonable period of time the implementing measures that it has 
 
EN 51   EN adopted or intends to adopt in order to comply with the ruli ng of the arbitration 
panel. 
5. In the event that there is disagreement between the Parties as to the consistency of 
the measure in relation to these Titles a nd as notified under paragraph 4 then the 
complaining Party may seek recourse to the original arbitration panel to rule on the 
matter upon written application to the Trad e Committee stating how the measure is 
inconsistent with these Titles. Once conve ned by the Trade Committee the arbitration 
panel will issue its ruling within 45 days  from the date of its re-establishment. 
6. In the event the original arbitration pane l, or some of its members, is unable to 
reconvene, then the procedures detailed in Article 80 apply. The period for issuing its 
ruling in this instance remain s 45 days from the date of the panel's establishment. 
7. If the Party concerned fails to notify the implementing measures before the expiry of 
the reasonable period of time the defendi ng Party shall if so requested by the 
complaining Party, present an offer for temporary compensation. If no agreement on 
compensation has been reached within 30 days  of the end of the reasonable period of 
time, the complaining Party shall be entitled, upon notifica tion to the Trade 
Committee, to suspend the application of  benefits granted under Titles II to V 
equivalent to the nullification and impairm ent caused by the measure that has been 
found to violate these Titles. The notification shall be delivered simultaneously to the 
other Party. The complaining Party may impl ement the suspension ten days after the 
date of the notification, unless the defending Party has requested arbitration under 
paragraph 8. 
8. If the defending Party considers that the le vel of suspension is not equivalent to the 
nullification and impairment caused by the measure, then a written request shall be made to the Trade Committee before the e xpiry of the ten day period mentioned in 
paragraph 7 for the reconvening of the or iginal arbitration panel. The Trade 
Committee shall be informed of the ruling by the arbitration panel on the level of the 
suspension of benefits within 30 days from the date of the request for its 
establishment. Benefits shall not be susp ended until the arbitration panel has issued 
its ruling and any suspension sh all be consistent with the ruling of the arbitration 
panel. 
9. The suspension of benefits shall be temporary and shall only be applied until the 
measure found to violate this Title II to V has been withdrawn or amended so as to 
bring it into conformity with these Titl es, or in the case where the Parties have 
agreed on a resolution of the dispute. If  the defending Party considers that it has 
taken measures to implement the ruling, yet the su spension of benef its is maintained, 
the defending party may seek recourse to th e original arbitration panel for a ruling on 
whether such suspension should be terminated or modified. The ruling shall be issued within 45 days of the writte n request for its re-establishment. 
10. In the event the original ar bitration panel, or  some of its members, is unable to 
reconvene, then the procedures detailed in Article 80 apply. The period for issuing its 
ruling in this instance remain s 45 days from the date of the panel's establishment. 
 
EN 52   EN 11. All rulings provided for in this Article sh all be final and binding and shall be made 
available to the Trade Comm ittee which will make them publicly available unless it 
decides by consensus not to do so. 
12. Upon the accession of the Syrian Arab Republic to the World Trade Organisation, 
nothing in this Agreement sh all preclude a party from implementing the suspension 
of benefits that have been authorised by the Dispute Settleme nt Body of the World 
Trade Organisation. 
CHAPTER IV 
GENERAL PROVISIONS 
Article 86 
1. Arbitration proceedings established under th is Title will not cons ider issues relating 
to each Party’s rights and obligations unde r the Agreement establishing the World 
Trade Organisation (WTO). 
2. Recourse to the Dispute Settlement Provi sions of these Titles  shall be without 
prejudice to any possible action in the WTO framework, including dispute settlement 
action. However where a Party has, with regard  to a particular measure, instituted a 
dispute settlement proceeding under either Ar ticle 78 paragraph 1 of this Title or the 
WTO Agreement, it shall not institute a di spute settlement proceeding regarding the 
same measure under the other forum until such time as the first proceeding has ended. For purposes of this paragraph, di spute settlement proceedings under the 
WTO Agreement are deemed to be initiated by a Party’s request for a panel under Article 6 of the Understandi ng on Rules and Procedures G overning the Settlement of 
Disputes of the WTO. 
3. Until the Syrian Arab Republic accedes to the World Trade Organisation, arbitration 
panels shall adopt an interpretation that is fully consis tent with the relevant decisions 
of the Dispute Settlement Body of the Wo rld Trade Organisation when ruling on an 
alleged violation of a provision contained in Titles II to V of this Agreement that incorporates or refers to a provision under the Agreement establishing the World 
Trade Organisation. Upon the accession of th e Syrian Arab Republic to the World 
Trade Organisation, arbitration panels sha ll suspend proceedings if they consider 
they cannot rule on a dispute without in terpreting a WTO provi sion, where such a 
provision is referred to in Titles II to V of this Agreement. In the event of such a 
suspension of proceedings, any party may have recourse to dispute settlement 
proceedings under the WTO. 
Article 87 
1. All terms established under th is Title shall be counted in  calendar days from the day 
following the act or fact to which they refer. 
2. Any deadline mentioned in this Title ma y be extended by mutual agreement of the 
Parties. 
 
EN 53   EN Article 88 
The documents presented in the framework of the proceedings provided under this Title shall 
be considered as confidential, with  the exception of arbitration awards. 
Article 89 
The written and oral submissions  of the Syrian Arab Republic shall be made in Arabic, and 
for the European Communities, in any of the official languages of the European Union. 
TITLE VI 
ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION  
Article 90 
Objectives  
1. The Parties undertake to inte nsify economic co-operation in their mutual interest and 
in accordance with the overall objectives of the Agreement. 
2. The aim of economic co-operation shall be to support Syria's own efforts to achieve 
sustainable economic and social development. 
Article 91 
Scope  
1. Co-operation shall focus primarily on sectors suffering from internal difficulties or 
affected by the overall process of liberal isation of the Syrian economy, and in 
particular by the liberalisation of trade between Syria and the Community. 
2. Similarly, co-operation shall focus on areas  likely to bring the economies of the 
Community and Syria closer t ogether, particularly those wh ich will generate growth 
and employment. 
3. The Parties will encourage economic co-ope ration between Syria and other countries 
of the region. 
4. Conservation of the environment and ecolo gical balance shall be  taken into account 
in the implementation of the various sectors of economic co-operation to which it is 
relevant bearing in mind the difference in the level of economic and social 
development between the Parties. 
5. The Parties may agree to extend economic co-operation to other sectors not covered 
by the provisions of this Title. 
 
EN 54   EN Article 92 
Methods and Modalities  
Economic co-operation shall be implemented in particular through: a) a regular economic dialogue between the Pa rties, which covers all areas of macro-
economic policy; 
b) regular exchange of information and ideas  in every sector of co-operation including 
meetings of officials and experts; 
c) transfer of advice, expertise and training; 
d) implementation of joint actions such as seminars and workshops; e) technical, administrative and regulatory assistance; f) encouragement of joint ventures; the use of scientific research results for 
technological applications, innovation and development. 
Article 93 
Regional Co-operation
 
The Parties will encourage operations having a re gional impact or associating other countries 
of the region, with a view to promoting regional co-operation. 
Such operations may include: a) trade at intra-regional level; b) investment; c) environmental issues; d) development of economic infrastructures; e) scientific and t echnological research; 
f) cultural matters; g) customs matters; h) Information Technology; 
i) water issues, including irrigation. 
 
EN 55   EN Article 94 
Education and Training  
The Parties shall co-operate with the obj ective of identifying and employing the most 
effective means to improve significantly the e ducation and vocational training situation in 
Syria, in particular with regard  to public and privat e enterprises, trade-re lated services, public 
administrations and authorities,  technical agencies, scientif ic and technological academic 
facilities , standardisation and certifi cation bodies and other releva nt organisations. In this 
context, vocational, technical and administrative training for industrial restructuring will 
receive special attention. 
Co-operation shall also encourage the establishm ent of links between specialised bodies in the 
Community and in Syria and shall promote the exchange of information, and experiences and 
the pooling of technical resources . 
Article 95 
Scientific and Technol ogical co-operation  
Co-operation has the objective of: a) encouraging the establishment of durable  links between the scientific and 
technological communities of the Parties, notably through : 
the access of Syria to Community R&D programmes, in conformity with the existing 
provisions concerning the participation of  third countries; 
the participation of Syria in the netw orks of decentralised co-operation; 
the promotion of training in research and development sectors. 
b) strengthening the scientific and applied research and developmen t capacity of Syria, 
through capacity building in hu man resources and providing scientific, technical and 
material support to research bodies. 
c) stimulating technological innovation, tr ansfer of new technologies and knowledge, 
and dissemination of know- how, in particular with  a view to promoting 
environmentally-friendly practices and acce lerating the adjustment and development 
of Syria's industrial capability. 
Article 96 
Environment
 
1. Co-operation is aimed at preventing dete rioration of the environment, improving its 
quality, controlling pollution, protecting human health a nd ensuring the rational use 
of natural resources, with a view to  ensuring sustainable development. 
 
EN 56   EN 2. Co-operation, which will also promote re gional environmental projects, shall focus 
on the following fields with emphasis on  harmonisation of le gislation including  
implementation of UN-related agreements: 
a) combating desertification; b) protection of bio-diversity; c) integrated water resources manageme nt including irrigation and control of 
pollution or salinisation of surface and groundwater; 
d) use of renewable sources of energy; e) promotion of clean production and pr evention of environmental impacts and 
risks on safety due to industrial activities; 
f) trade and environment; g) control of the air quality; h) prevention and contro l of marine pollution; 
i) waste management; j) the impact of agricult ure on soil and water quality; 
k) environmental education and awareness; l) use of advanced tools of environm ental management and decision-making, 
environmental monitoring methods, includi ng in particular the use of the 
Environmental Information System (EIS) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA); 
(m) environmental crisis management. 
Article 97 
Industrial Co-operation
 
Industrial Co-operation sha ll promote and encourage: 
a) industrial co-operation betw een economic operators in the Community and in Syria, 
including access for Syria to the Community 's networks for the rapprochement of 
businesses and to networks created in th e context of decentralised co-operation; 
b) the modernisation and restructuring of Syrian industry, including its infrastructure 
and support institutions in relevant areas such as standards, quality assurance or industrial design; 
c) the establishment and promotion of an e nvironment favourable to the development of 
private enterprise, in order to stimulate  the growth and the diversification of 
industrial production in a sustaina ble development perspective; 
 
EN 57   EN d) co-operation between small and medium-si zed enterprises in the Community and in 
Syria; 
e) innovation, R&D and acquisiti on of technology and products to contribute to Syria's 
economic development; 
f) diversification of indus trial output in Syria; 
g) the enhancement of human resources; h) improvement of access to  investment finance;  
i) stimulation of innovation; j) improvement of information support services; k) or any other co-operation ar ea as agreed between Parties. 
Article 98 
Investments and Promotion of Investments
 
The objective of co-operation will be the prom otion of a favourable and stable environment 
for investment in Syria. The co-operation will entail in particular the development of : 
a) harmonised and simplified administrati ve procedures; co-investment machinery, 
especially for small and medium-sized ente rprises of both Parties; and information 
channels and means of identif ying investment opportunities; 
b) a legal environment conducive to inve stment between the two parties, where 
appropriate through the conclusion by the Me mber States and Syria of investment 
protection agreements and agreem ents to prevent double taxation; 
c) access to the capital market for the fina ncing of productive investments in Syria;  
d) joint ventures between busine ss in Syria and in the Community. 
Article 99 
Standards, Technical Regulations  and Conformity Assessment Procedures  
Co-operation in this field will be aimed in particular at: 
a) increasing the application of Community ru les in the field of technical regulations, 
metrology, accreditation , standardisation and conformity assessment; 
b) Developing Syrian laborator ies and conformity assessment bodies, with a view to the 
establishment, in due time and to the extent feasible, of agreements on conformity assessment; 
c) developing structures and bodies  for standardisation  and quality in Syria. 
 
EN 58   EN Article 100 
Intellectual, Indus trial and Commerci al Property Rights  
Co-operation in the field of intellectual, indu strial and commercial pr operty rights shall, upon 
request and on mutually agreed terms and conditi ons, inter alia, extend to the following areas : 
a) the preparation of laws and regulati ons for the protection and enforcement of 
intellectual, indus trial and commercia l property rights; 
b) the prevention of abuses of such rights by right-holders and the infringement of such 
rights by competitors; 
c) the establishment and reinforcement of national organizations involved in 
enforcement and protection against counterfe iting and piracy, in cluding the training 
of personnel, awareness building activiti es and knowledge-based, capacity building 
related activities in view of strengthening Syria's ability to implement intellectual, 
industrial and commercial property rights protection. 
Article 101 
Financial Services  
The Parties shall co-operate with  a view to the rapprochement of  their standards and rules, in 
particular : 
a) to strengthen and restructure the financial sector in Syria; 
b) to improve accounting and supervisory a nd regulatory systems of banking, insurance 
and other financial sectors in Syria. 
Article 102 
Agriculture and Fisheries  
1. The Parties shall focus co-operation on : 
a) support for policies implemented by them to diversify production; 
b) encouraging the development of the pr ivate sector to reduce food dependency; 
c) promotion of environment-friendly agriculture; 
d) conservation and rational ma nagement of fish stocks; 
e) closer relations betw een businesses, groups and organisations representing 
trades and professions in Syria and in  the Community on a voluntary basis; 
f) support and promotion of  private investments; 
g) technical assistance and training; 
 
EN 59   EN h) agronomic research, the use of new technologies; 
i) co-operation on phyto-sanitary  and veterinary standards; 
j) modernisation of infrastructure s and of distribution operations; 
k) integrated rural development includ ing improvement in basic services and 
development of associated economic activities; 
l) co-operation among rural regions, ex change of experience and know-how 
concerning rural development; 
m) or any other cooperation area as agreed between Parties. 
2. The cooperation may take the form of i.a. transfer of know-how, the establishment of 
joint ventures or training schemes. 
Article 103 
Transport  
Co-operation and technical support will fo cus on the following priority areas : 
a) the restructuring and mode rnisation, in a sustainable development perspective, of 
road, railways , port and airport infras tructures of common a nd regional interest 
linked to the development of a Trans-Eu ro-Mediterranean Transport Network, in 
particular in terconnections; 
b) the establishment and enforcement of operating standards co mparable to those 
prevailing in the Community; 
c) the upgrading of technical equipment to bring it up to Community standards for all 
modes of transport, in particular container traffic and trans-shipment; 
d) the gradual easing of transit requirements; e) the improvement of institutional capacity and management of ports, airports, 
railways and air traffic cont rol, including co-operation be tween the relevant national 
bodies; 
f) the reinforcement of shipping safety a nd the prevention of maritime pollution, with 
specific attention to the maritime tran sport of hydrocarbons, as well as the 
implementation of maritime security related measures; 
g) development in the field of urban transports. 
 
EN 60   EN Article 104 
Information Society and Electronic Communications  
Co-operation shall focus on : a) a dialogue on issues related to the diffe rent aspects of the information society, 
including e-strategy,  electronic communications policies and regulation; 
b) standardisation, conformity testin g and certification of information and 
communications technologies; 
c) interconnection and interoperability of European Union and Syrian networks and 
services; 
d) planning and management of the radio frequency spectrum w ith a view to co-
ordinated and effective use of radio co mmunications in the Euro-Mediterranean 
region; 
e) dissemination of new information a nd communications technologies including 
satellite technology and information services; 
f) promotion and implementation of joint pr ojects for research, technical development 
or industrial applications in  electronic communications a nd the information society; 
g) giving Syrian bodies the opportunity to pa rticipate in pilot pr ojects and European 
programmes under the specific arrangements pertaining to them in the sectors 
concerned. 
Article 105 
Energy
 
Co-operation and technical support will fo cus on the following priority areas : 
a) development of new gas a nd electricity interconnections with a view to improving 
the security of supplies within the Ma shreq region and furt her developing Trans-
Euro-Mediterranean energy networks; 
b) co-operation for improvement of safety and security of energy infrastructures and 
transmission networks including management  of underground oil and gas reservoirs; 
co-operation for the upstream development of petroleum resources; technological co-operation in the refining s ector and harmonisation of petroleum products 
quality norms; 
c) opening of energy markets and developm ent of effective regulatory frameworks 
including unbundling, independent regulatory bodies with a view to ensuring the 
well-functioning of the market a nd cost reflective energy pricing; 
 
EN 61   EN d) technological co-operation in the field of international standards and procedures, 
energy policy analysis and energy balances as well as improvement of energy data collection and management; 
e) promotion of renewable energies a nd indigenous energy sources as well as 
promotion of energy saving and energy effici ency measures, with specific emphasis 
on the building and transport sectors; 
f) co-operation on updated technologies for energy production, transmission and 
distribution in order to reduce techni cal losses and increase efficiency. 
Article 106 
Tourism
 
Priorities for co-operation in this sphere shall be: a) improving the knowledge of the tourist indu stry and ensuring greater consistency of 
policies affecting tourism; 
b) promoting co-operation between regions  and cities of neighbouring countries; 
c) improving information for tourists a nd the protection of their interests; 
d) highlighting the importance of th e cultural heritage for tourism; 
e) ensuring that the interaction between tour ism and the environment is maintained in a 
sustainable manner; 
f) making tourism more competitive through support for increased professionalism, in  
particular with regard to hotel management; 
g) exchanging information on planned touris m development and promotion of planned 
developments in the Tourism sector, in cluding on tourism marketing projects, 
tourism shows, exhibitions, conventions and publications.  
Article 107 
Customs
 
1. The Parties shall promote and facilitate cooperation between thei r respective customs 
services in order to ensure that the objectives set out in Article 36 are attained, 
particularly in orde r to guarantee the simplification of customs procedures and to 
facilitate legitimate trade while retaining effective control capabilities. 
2. Without prejudice to the cooperation es tablished by this Agreement, mutual 
assistance between the administrative authori ties in customs matters will be given in 
conformity with Protocol 7: Mutual Assi stance between Administrative Authorities 
on customs matters. 
 
EN 62   EN 3. The cooperation shall give ri se among other things, to: 
a) the provision of technical assistan ce, including where appropriate, the 
organisation of seminars and the placement of trainees; 
b) the development and shar ing of best practices; and 
c) the improvement and simplification of customs matters relating to market 
access and rules of origin and the cu stoms procedures related to them. 
Article 108 
Co-operation on statistics  
The main objective of co-operation in this fiel d will be to harmonise methodology in order to 
create a reliable basis for ha ndling statistics on trade, popula tion, migration and generally all 
the fields which are covered by this agreement and lend themselves to the establishment of statistics. 
TITLE VII 
CO-OPERATION IN SOCIAL AND CULTURAL MATTERS 
CHAPTER 1 
SOCIAL DIALOGUE 
Article 109 
1. A regular dialogue shall be established be tween the Parties on all social issues of 
mutual interest. 
2. This dialogue shall be used to seek ways and means to further progress as regards the 
movement of workers and the equal treatmen t and social integration of Syrian and 
EU citizens legally residi ng in their host countries. 
3. The dialogue shall focus on problems related to : 
a) migrant communities' living and working conditions; b) migration; 
c) projects and programmes on equality of  treatment for Syrian and Community 
nationals, reciprocal awar eness of cultures and civilisations, the development 
of tolerance and the elimin ation of discrimination. 
 
EN 63   EN CHAPTER 2 
SOCIAL CO-OPERATION ACTIONS 
Article 110 
1. The Parties acknowledge the importance of social development which should go 
hand in hand with any economic development. They give particular priority to respect of basic social rights. 
2. To consolidate social co-operation between  the parties, actions and programmes shall 
be undertaken on any issue of interest to them. 
Priority shall be given to the following actions : a) reduction of migratory pressures thr ough job creation and the development of 
training in areas with a high emigration rate; 
b) reintegration of repatriated illegal immigrants; c) promotion of the role of women in social and economic development; 
d) developing Syrian family pla nning and mother and child protection 
programmes; 
e) improving the social security system; f) improving the healthcare system; g) improving living conditions in underp rivileged, densely populated areas; 
h) exchange programmes for mixed groups of young Syrians and Europeans, with 
a view to promoting mutual cultu ral understanding and tolerance. 
Article 111 
Co-operation projects may be co-ordinated with the Member States and the appropriate 
international organisations. 
Article 112 
A working group may be set up by the Associ ation Council by the end of the first year 
following entry into force of this Agreement. Its brief shall be to evaluate the implementation 
of the provisions of chapters 1 and 2 on an ongoing basis. 
 
EN 64   EN CHAPTER 3 
CULTURAL CO-OPERATION 
Article 113 
1. To foster mutual knowledge and understandi ng, and in line with projects that have 
already been developed along these lines, the Parties shall undertake, in a spirit of mutual cultural respect, to establish fi rm foundations for a continuing cultural 
dialogue and to promote long- term cultural co-operation in  any appropriate field of 
activity. 
2. The Parties shall, in id entifying co-operation projects  and programmes and joint 
activities, give special attention to young people, to self-expression and 
communication skills using written and audio- visual media, to heritage conservation 
issues and to the dissemination of culture. 
3. The Parties shall seek ways to encour age Syrian participation in Community 
initiatives in this sector. 
4. The Parties shall promote activities of mutual  interest in the field of information and 
communications. 
TITLE VIII 
COOPERATION IN THE FIELDS OF JUST ICE, MIGRATION, AND THE FIGHT 
AGAINST ORGANISED CRIME 
Article 114 
Reinforcement of Institu tions and Rule of Law
 
In their co-operation in the ar eas addressed un der this title , the Parties will attach particular 
importance to the consolidation of the rule of law and the reinforcement of institutions at all levels in the areas of administration in general, and law enforcement and the working of the justice system in particular. 
Co-operation in the field of Justice will focus in particul ar on the indepe ndence of the 
judiciary, the improvement of its effectiveness and training in the legal professions. 
Article 115 
Co-operation on Migration
 
1. The Parties reaffirm the importance, whic h they attach to a joint management of 
migration flows between their territories. With a view to strengthening co-operation 
between them, they shall es tablish a comprehensive dial ogue on all migration-related 
issues, including illegal mi gration, smuggling and trafficking in human beings, as 
 
EN 65   EN well as the inclusion of the migration concer ns in the national strategies for economic 
and social development of the areas  from which migrants originate. 
2. Co-operation shall be based on a specifi c needs assessment conducted in mutual 
consultation between the Parties and be im plemented in accordance with the relevant 
legislation in force in the Community, in Me mber States and in Syria. It will, in 
particular, focus on: 
a) the root causes of migration; b) the admission rules and rights and status  of persons admitted, fair treatment of 
lawfully residing non-nationals, educati on and training and measures against 
racism and xenophobia; 
c) the field of visas, on issues iden tified as being of mutual interest; 
d) the field of border controls, on issues  related to organisa tion, training, best 
practices and other operational measur es on the ground and where relevant, 
equipment, while being aware of the pot ential dual use of such equipment; 
e) the establishment of an effective and preventive policy against illegal 
immigration, smuggling of migrants and tr afficking in human beings including 
the issue of how to combat networks of smugglers and tra ffickers and how to 
protect the victims of such trafficking; 
f) the development and implementation of national legislation and practices with 
regard to persons in need of international protection, w ith a view to satisfying 
the provisions of applicable international instruments; 
g) the return, under humane and dignified conditions, of persons residing illegally 
including the promotion of their voluntar y return, and the readmission of such 
persons , in accordance with paragraph 3. 
3. In the framework of the cooperation to pr event and control illeg al immigration, the 
Parties also agree to readmit thei r illegal migrants. To this end : 
Syria shall readmit any of its nationals ille gally present on the te rritory of a Member 
State of the European Un ion, upon request by the la tter and without further 
formalities, after the accomplishment of the necessary identification procedures;  
and each Member State of the European Union shall  readmit any of its nationals 
illegally present on the territory of Syri a, upon request by the latter and without 
further formalities , after the accomplishment of the necessary identification 
procedures.  
The Member States of the European Union and Syria will provide their nationals with 
appropriate identity documents and will extend to  them the administrative facilities necessary 
for such purposes. 
The Parties agree to conclude, upon request and as soon as possible, an agreement regulating 
specific obligations for Member States of the European Union and Syria on readmission, 
including the readmission of nationals of  other countries and stateless persons. 
 
EN 66   EN For this purpose, the term “Parties” shall mean  the Community, any of its Member States and 
Syria. 
Article 116 
Money-laundering  
1. The Parties agree on the necessity of making every effort and co-operating in order 
to prevent the use of their financial syst ems for laundering of proceeds from criminal 
activities in general and from offences related to illicit drugs and psychotropic substances in particular. 
2. Co-operation in this area may include ad ministrative and technical assistance with 
the purposes to develop the implementation of regulations and e fficient functioning 
of mechanisms to combat money launde ring in line with accepted international 
standards,  including the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force 
(FATF). 
Article 117 
Cooperation on Illicit Drugs
 
1. Within their respective powers and compet ences, the Parties shall co-operate to 
ensure a balanced approach through eff ective co-ordination between the competent 
authorities including from the health, justi ce and interior sectors, with the aim of 
reducing the supply, trafficking and dema nd of illicit drugs as well as a more 
effective control of illici t trafficking in chemical  precursors. 
2. The Parties shall agree on means of co-ope ration to attain these objectives. Actions 
shall be based on commonly agreed princi ples along the lines of the relevant 
international conventions, the political decl aration and the Special Declaration on the 
guidelines to reduce drugs demand, a pproved by the United Nations General 
Assembly Special Session on Drugs 1998. 
3. The co-operation between the Parties shal l comprise technical and administrative 
assistance in particular in the following areas: drafting of na tional legislation and 
policies; establishment of national institut ions and information centres; training of 
personnel; drug related research; and the pr evention of diversion of precursors used 
for the illicit manufacture of drugs and psychotropic substances. The Parties may 
agree to include other areas. 
Article 118 
Cooperation on Organised Crime  
1. The Parties agree to cooperate in order to prevent and fight organised crime, in 
particular in the following fields: human trafficking; falsification of documents; 
exploitation for sexual purposes; corruption; the counterfeit of financial instruments; 
the illicit traffic of prohibi ted, counterfeited or pirate d products and of illegal 
 
EN 67   EN transactions concerning in particular industrial refuse or radioactive material; the 
trafficking of firearms and explosives; computer criminality; stolen cars. 
2. The Parties shall cooperate closely in order to establis h appropriate mechanisms and 
standards. 
3. Technical and administrative  co-operation in this field will include training and the 
strengthening of the effectiveness of the authorities and structures responsible for fighting and for preventing criminality and the formulation of measures for crime 
prevention. 
TITLE IX 
COOPERATION ON COUNTER-TERRORISM 
Article 119 
The Parties agree to co-operate in the prev ention and suppression of acts of terrorism in 
accordance with international c onventions, relevant UN resoluti ons and with their respective 
legislation and regulations. They  shall do so in particular: 
1. in the framework of the full implem entation of Resolution no. 1373 of the UN 
Security Council and other relevant UN re solutions, and applicable international 
conventions and instruments; 
2. by exchange of information on terrori st groups and their support networks,  by mutual 
agreement and  in accordance with interna tional and national law; 
3. by exchange of views on means and methods  used to counter terrorism, including in 
technical fields and training, and by exchange of experiences in respect of terrorism 
prevention. 
TITLE X 
FINANCIAL CO-OPERATION 
Article 120 
In order to achieve the obj ectives of this Agreement and to support Syria in the 
implementation of reforms necessary to take fu ll advantage of this new framework, financial 
co-operation for Syria will be implemented in  accordance with the appropriate Community 
financial procedures and resources. 
These procedures shall be agreed by both Part ies using the most appr opriate instruments. 
In addition to the areas covered by Titles VI and VIII of the Agreement, financial co-
operation shall focus on : 
a) promoting reforms designed to modern ise the economy and the administration; 
b) upgrading economic infrastructure; 
 
EN 68   EN c) promoting private investme nt and job-creating activities; 
d) responding to the economic repercussions of the gradual introduc tion of a free trade 
area, notably by upgrading and restructuring industry; 
e) accompanying the policies implem ented in the social sector. 
Article 121 
In the framework of the existing Community fi nancial instruments ai med at supporting the 
structural adjustment programmes in the Medi terranean countries, and in close co-operation 
with the Syrian author ities and other donors, particularly with other international financial 
institutions, the Community shall  examine suitable ways of supporting structural policies 
carried out by Syria to restore financial equilibrium in the main financial aggregates and encourage the creation of an economic environm ent conducive to increased growth, while at 
the same time improving the social well-being of the population. 
Article 122 
In order to ensure th at a co-ordinated appr oach is adopted to a ny extraordinary macro-
economic and financial problems that might aris e as a result of the implementation of this 
Agreement, the Parties shall use the regular economic dialogue provided for in Title VI to give particular attention to monitoring trade and financial trends in  relations between the 
Community and Syria . 
TITLE XI 
INSTITUTIONAL, GENERAL AND FINAL PROVISIONS 
Article 123 
An Association Council is hereby established which as a rule sh all meet at Ministerial level 
every second year and  when circumstances require, at the initiative of its President and in 
accordance with the conditions laid down in its rules of procedure. 
It shall review the progress made in the im plementation of this Agreement and in the 
cooperation to support Syrian reform and deve lopment efforts. It shall also examine any 
major issues arising within the framework of  this Agreement including its economic and 
social impact and any other bilateral or international issues of mutual interest. 
Article 124 
1. The Association Council sha ll consist of the me mbers of the Council of the European 
Union and members of the European Co mmission, on the one hand, and members of 
the Government of Syria, on the other. 
2. Members of the Association Council may a rrange to be represented in accordance 
with the provisions laid down in its rules of procedure. 
 
EN 69   EN 3. The Association Council shall esta blish its rules of procedure. 
4. The Association Council shall be presided in turn by a member of the Council of the 
European Union and a member of the Govern ment of Syria, in accordance with the 
provisions laid down in its  rules of procedure. 
Article 125 
1. The Association Council shall, for the pur pose of attaining the objectives of the 
Agreement, have the power to take deci sions in the cases provided for therein. 
2. The decisions taken shall be binding on th e Parties which shall take the measures 
necessary to implement the decisions take n. The Association Council may also make 
appropriate recommendations. 
3. It shall draw up its decisions and reco mmendations by agreement between the two 
Parties. 
Article 126 
1. Subject to the powers of  the Council, an Associa tion Committee is hereby 
established which shall be responsible for the implemen tation of the Agreement. 
2. The Association Council may delegate to the Association Committee, in full or in 
part, any of its powers. 
Article 127 
1. The Association Committee, which shall meet at official level, shall consist of 
representatives of the Counc il of the European Union and of the Commission of the 
European Communities, on the one hand, and of representatives of the Government 
of Syria, on the other. 
2. The Association Committee shall es tablish its rules of procedure. 
3. The Association Committee shall be presided in turn by a representative of the 
European Commission and by a representa tive of the Government of Syria. 
Article 128 
1. The Association Committee shall have the power to take decisions for the 
management of the Agreement as well as  in the areas in which the Council has 
delegated its powers to it. 
2. It shall draw up its decisions by agreemen t between the two Parties. These decisions 
shall be binding on the Parties which shall take the measures necessary to implement 
the decisions taken. 
 
EN 70   EN Article 129 
The Association Council will establish any Working Group or Body necessary for the 
implementation of the Agreement, and no later th an six months after the application of Titles 
II to V, establish a Body as referred to in Title V, Chapter II, Article 76. 
Article 130 
The Association Council shall take  all appropriate measures to  facilitate co-operation and 
contacts between the European Parliame nt and the Syrian People's Assembly. 
Article 131 
Each of the Parties may refer any question on the interpretation and application of this 
Agreement to the Association Council except fo r matters covered by Title V relating to the 
Settlement of Trade Disputes for Titles II to IV. 
Article 132 
Nothing in the Agreement shall preven t a Party from taking any measures: 
a) which it considers necessar y to prevent the disclosure of information contrary to its 
essential security interests; 
b) which relate to the production of, or trad e in, arms, munitions or war materials or to 
research, development or production indi spensable for defence purposes, provided 
that such measures do not impair the condi tions of competition in respect of products 
not intended for specifically military purposes; 
c) which it considers essential to its own security in the event of serious internal 
disturbances affecting the maintenance of law and order, in tim e of war or serious 
international tension constituting threat of wa r or in order to carry out obligations it 
has accepted for the purpose of maintain ing peace and international security. 
Article 133 
In the fields covered by this Agreement a nd without prejudice to any special provisions 
contained therein: 
a) the arrangements applied by Syria in respect  of the Community shall not give rise to 
any discrimination between the Member States , their nationals or their companies or 
firms; 
b) the arrangements applied by the Community in  respect of Syria shall not give rise to 
discrimination between Syrian nationa ls or its companies or firms. 
 
EN 71   EN Article 134 
As regards direct taxation, nothing in th e Agreement shall have the effect of: 
a) extending the fiscal adva ntages granted by either Party in any international 
agreement or arrangement by which it is bound;  
b) preventing the adoption or application by either Party of any measure aimed at 
preventing the avoidance or evasion of taxes; 
c) opposing the right of either Party to apply the relevant provisions of its tax 
legislation to taxpayers who are not in iden tical situations, in pa rticular as regards 
their place of residence. 
Article 135 
1. The Parties shall take any general or specific measures required to fulfil their 
obligations under the Agreement. They shall se e to it that the object ives set out in the 
Agreement are attained. 
2. If either Party considers that the other Party has failed to fulfil an obligation under 
the Agreement, it may take appropriate m easures. Before so doing, except in cases of 
special urgency, it shall suppl y the Association Council with  all relevant information 
required for a thorough examination of the situ ation with a view to seeking a solution 
acceptable to the Parties. 
In the selection of measures priority must  be given to those which least disturb the 
functioning of the Agreement. These measures  shall be notified immediately to the 
Association Council and shall be the subject of consultations with in the Association 
Council if the other Party so requests. 
Article 136 
Approximation of laws  
The Parties shall use their best endeavours to ap proximate their respective legislation in order 
to facilitate the implementation of this Agreement. 
Article 137 
Protocols 1 to 8 and Annexes I to VIII  shall form an integral part of this Agreement. 
Declarations and excha nges of letters shall appear in th e Final Act, which shall form an 
integral part of this Agreement. 
 
EN 72   EN Article 138 
For the purpose of this Agreement the term "Par ties" shall mean Syria on the one part and the 
Community, or the Member States, or the Comm unity and the Member States, in accordance 
with their respective po wers, on the other part. 
Article 139 
The Agreement is concluded for an unlimited period. 
Each of the Parties may denounce the Agreemen t by notifying the other Party. The Agreement 
shall cease to apply six months afte r the date of such notification. 
Article 140 
This Agreement shall apply, on the one hand, to the territories in which the Treaties 
establishing the European Community are applie d and under the conditions laid down in those 
Treaties and, on the other hand, to the territory of Syria. 
Article 141 
This Agreement, drawn up in duplicate in the Arabic, Spanish, Czech, Danish, German, 
Estonian, Greek, English, French, Italian, Latv ian, Lithuanian, Hungarian, Maltese, Dutch, 
Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovene, Finnish, a nd Swedish languages, each of these texts 
being equally authentic, shall be deposited with  the General Secretariat of the Council of the 
European Union. 
Article 142 
1. This Agreement will be approved by the Parties in accordance with their own 
procedures. This Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the second month following the date on which the Parties notify each other  that the procedures 
referred to in this paragraph have been completed. 
2. Upon its entry into force this Agreemen t shall replace the Ag reement between the 
European Economic Community and Syria, and the Agreement between the 
European Coal and Steel Community a nd Syria, signed in Brussels on 18.1.1977. 
Article 143 
Provisional Application
 
1. Notwithstanding article 142, the Community and Syria agree to apply Article 2, 
Articles 7 to 42 (Title II: Free movement of goods), Articles 61 and 63 (Payments 
and capital movements) , Articles 64 to 73 (Competi tion, Government procurement, 
and Other Economic Matters), Articles 74 to 89 (Title V: Dispute se ttlement), Article 
97 (Industrial co-operation), Article 99 (Standards, Technical Regulation, and 
Conformity Assessment Procedures), Ar ticle 100 (Cooperation on intellectual, 
 
EN 73   EN industrial and commercial prope rty rights), Article 101 (Fin ancial Services), Article 
102 (Agricultural and fisher ies), Article 107 (Customs co-operation), Article 120 , 
Articles 132 to 138, and Articles 140 and 141 (Title XI: Institutional, General, and Final Provisions), from the first day of the third month following the date on which 
the Community and Syria have notified each other of the completion of the 
procedures necessary for this purpose. Notif ications shall be sent to the Secretary 
General of the Council of the European Uni on, who shall be the depository of this 
agreement. 
2. The Co-operation Council set up under th e Co-operation Agr eement between the 
European Economic Community and the Syri an Arab Republic signed on 18 January 
1977 shall perform mutatis mutandis its dut ies until the Association Council and the 
Association Committee provided for in Title XI of the Association Agreement are 
created. 
During the provisional application of th e above-mentioned Articles, and where 
appropriate, reference to the “Associat ion Council” and to “the Association 
Committee” shall be construed as refere nce to the Co-operation Council and the 
Committees established by it. 
3. Where in accordance with paragraph 1, a pr ovision of this Agreement is applied by 
the Parties pending its entry into force, any reference in such provision to the date of 
entry into force of this Agreement shall be  understood to be made to the date from 
which the Parties agree to apply that provision in accordance with paragraph 1. 
 
EN 74   EN Joint Declaration pertaining to the entire Agreement  
The Parties, while developing their relations on th e basis of this Agreement, reiterate their full 
commitment to respect the principles and purpo ses of the Charter of the United Nations, and 
agree to work together in orde r to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East 
in accordance with th e Madrid Terms of Reference and United Nations Security Council 
resolutions 242 and 338, and to pursue the creation in the region of a zone free of all weapons 
of mass destruction, nuclear, biological and chemi cal, and turn it into a region of stability and 
prosperity. 
Declaration by the European Community relating to Article 64  
The Community declares that, in  the context of the interpretation of Article 64(1), it will 
assess any practice contrary to that Article on the basis of the criteria resulting from the rules 
contained in Articles 81 and 82 of the Tr eaty establishing the European Community, 
including secondary legislation. 
Joint Declaration on Article 64  
The Parties recognise that Syria plans to write its ow n competition law. While writing its law, 
Syria will take into consideration the rules of competition developed within the European 
Union. The implementation of the administrati ve methods of co-operation mentioned in 
Article 64 paragraph 2 is conditioned at the entr y into force of the Syrian competition law and 
of the taking up of the duties of the au thority responsible fo r its application. 
Declaration of the European Commission a nd the Council of the European Union on 
article concerning Cooperation on Migration, (Article 115)  
Article 115 shall be with out prejudice to the internal divi sion of powers between the European 
Community and its Member States for th e conclusion of readmission agreements. 
Joint Declaration concerning Cooperati on on Migration (Article 115 (f))  
The Parties agree that in implementing Articl e 115 (f) of Title VIII, they will ensure the 
respect of the principle of “non-refoulement”  without prejudice to th e provisions of United 
Nations General Assembly Resolution 194 (1948). 
Joint Declaration on Article 113  
The Parties declare that special attention will be given to the protection, conservation and 
restoration of archeologi cal sites and monuments. 
The Parties agree to cooperate in seeking to ensu re the return of archeo logical artifacts related 
to the Syrian cultural heritage unlawfully removed from the country in line with the 
International Convention on the Means of Prohib ition and Prevention of  the Illicit Import, 
Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Propert y (UNESCO 1970). 
 
EN 75   EN Joint Declaration on the EC Generalised System of Preferences  
The preferences granted under this Agreemen t include the preferen ces granted under the 
European Community Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) as in Council Regulation 
(EC) No 2501/2001 of 10 December 2001 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences 
for the period from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2004, as extended in 2005 by Council 
Regulation (EC) No 2211/2003 of 15 December  2003. As a consequence, the European 
Community will take in due time the appropriate measures to withdraw Syria from the list of 
GSP beneficiary countries. 
 
EN 76   EN LIST OF PROTOCOLS AND ANNEXES 
Protocol 1 : Arrangements applicable to im ports into the Community of agricultural 
products originating in Syria. 
Protocol 2 : Arrangements applicable to im ports into Syria of agricultural products 
originating in the Community. 
Protocol 3 : Arrangements applicable to imports into the Community of fisheries 
products originating in Syria. 
Protocol 4 : Arrangements applicable to imports into Syria of fisheries products 
originating in the Community. 
Protocol 5 : Arrangements applicable to Processed Agricultural Products. 
Protocol 6 : Definition of 'originating products' and met hods of administrative co-
operation. 
Protocol 7 : Mutual assist ance between administrative au thorities on custom matters. 
Protocol 8 : List of Produc ts covered by Article 13.7. 
Annex I : Syrian tariff schedul e referred to in article 9.3. 
Annex II : List of products referred to in articles 11 and 16. Annex III : Community reservation list re ferred to in Article 43.1.b (Right of 
establishment). 
Annex IV : Syrian reservation list re ferred to in Arti cle 43.2.a (Right of 
establishment). 
Annex V : Modalities for cooperation refe rred to in Article 64.2 (Competition). 
Annex VI : Intellectual, industria l and commercial property rights. 
Annex VII : Government Procurement: Rules of  Procedure, List of Entities and other 
documents. 
Annex VIII : Dispute Settlement (Title V): Ru les of Procedure and Code of Conduct. 
 
EN 77   EN FINANCIAL STATEMENT (fichefin/04/32780) 
 DATE: 25/10/2004 
1. BUDGET HEADING: 
Chapter 10 – Agricultural Duties APPROPRIATIONS: 
Budget 2004: € 858,975 million 
2. TITLE: 
Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Community and its Member States of the one part, and the Sy rian Arab Republic of the other part 
3. LEGAL BASIS: 
Article 310 of the Treaty, in conjunction with Article 300 (2) and Article 300 (3) 
4. AIMS: 
To establish an association between the Community and the Syrian Arab Republic 
5. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 12 MONTH 
PERIOD 
 
 
(EUR million) CURRENT 
FINANCIAL 
YEAR 
2004 
(EUR million) FOLLOWING 
FINANCIAL 
YEAR 
2005 
(EUR million) 
5.0 EXPENDITURE 
- CHARGED TO THE EC BUDGET (REFUNDS/INTERVENTIONS) - NATIONAL AUTHORITIES 
- OTHER 0,024 - 0,024 
5.1 REVENUE 
- OWN RESOURCES OF THE EC  (LEVIES/CUSTOMS DUTIES) - NATIONAL -1.336 - -1.336 
  2006 2007 2208  
5.0.1 ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE 0,024 0,024 0,024    
5.1.1 ESTIMATED REVENUE -1.336 -1.336 -1.336 […] 
5.2 METHOD OF CALCULATION: 
Expenditure: 12 man-missions per year x €2000 per mission Revenue: 
Revenue loss is based on current trade levels, and is estimated at an annual € 11.000 for processed 
agricultural products and at € 1,77 million for agricultural products. This amount will not be affected by increases in trade volumes within the tariff quotas, since this is unlikely to exceed quota levels in the coming few years. The amount is reduced by 25% for collection costs. 
6.0 CAN THE PROJECT BE FINANCED FROM APPROPRIATIONS ENTERED IN THE 
RELEVANT CHAPTER OF THE CURRENT BUDGET?  
YES  
6.1 CAN THE PROJECT BE FINANCED BY TRANSFER BETWEEN CHAPTERS OF 
THE CURRENT BUDGET?  
YES 
6.2 WILL A SUPPLEMENTARY BUDGET BE NECESSARY? NO 
6.3 WILL APPROPRIATIONS NEED TO BE ENTERED IN FUTURE BUDGETS? NO 
OBSERVATIONS: The yearly gross loss in own resources in 2005 and later is estimated at € 1,781 million (before deduction of 25% for collection costs) yearly.