WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2104/97 by Concepció FERRER to the Commission. Euro-Mediterranean Agreement with Egypt
Date: 1997-06-19
Institutions: European Parliament, FERRER
Subjects: Egypt, agricultural market, association agreement, customs duties, import, industrial product, social policy, tariff preference

C 60/98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

25. 2. 98

The Bologna declaration called on the Commission to set up a mechanism for following up the conference and to
put  in  hand  projects  for  enhancing  cultural  heritage.  Accordingly,  a  first  meeting  of  representatives  of  the
27  culture  ministers  and  representatives  of  the  relevant  international  organizations  took  place  on  9  and
10 September last year to identify and propose regional projects bringing together as many Euro-Mediterranean
partners  as  possible.  Some  100  proposals  were  put  forward  and  their  practical  details  and  objectives  were
discussed.

A further meeting of experts on 20 and 21 December discussed matters in greater detail. The work of evaluating
and finalising requests for funds is now in progress with the aim of financing, from the Meda programme, a series
of  projects  some  of  which  will  take  place  over  three  years.  The  projects  are  being  forwarded  to  the  Med
Committee, the programme(cid:146)s management committee. The Commission will supply details of the project as soon
as the financing decision has been taken. The aim is to start practical cooperation this year.

(98/C 60/141)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2104/97

by Concepcio· Ferrer (PPE) to the Commission

(19 June 1997)

Subject: Euro-Mediterranean Agreement with Egypt

During the Euro-Mediterranean Conference in Malta, the Association Agreement between the European Union
and Jordan was signed, once the final differences between the two parties had been settled.

The Agreement with Egypt has not yet been signed because of a number of differences over market access for
certain agricultural products (flowers, oranges, potatoes).

Given  the  economic  and  political  importance  of  association  agreements  for  Mediterranean  countries  not
members  of the  European  Union, will  the  Commission say  what progress has been made in  the  negotiations
concerning the Association Agreement between Egypt and the European Union?

Answer given by Mr Marin on behalf of the Commission

(29 July 1997)

The Commission is fully aware of the economic and political importance of the new Association agreement with
Egypt.

The negotiations with Egypt started in January 1995 and were followed by eight negotiating rounds, the last in
March 1997.

Agriculture has proved to be one of the major obstacles in these negotiations. Egypt seeks to secure certain tariff
preferences  which,  in  the  Community(cid:146)s  view,  are  excessive  and  incompatible  with  the  present  situation  of
agricultural markets.

The  Commission,  has  proposed  tariff  preferences  which  permit  some  further  development  of  Egypt(cid:146)s
agricultural trade. This approach has, however, been refused by Egypt so far.

There  is  also  still  disagreement  on  a  number  of  other  trade  related  issues  and  on  the  provisions  on  social
cooperation.

As regards the important chapter of trade in industrial products, Egypt transmitted a first draft of the schedule for
tariff dismantling on imports from the Community only at the beginning of June 1997. This document has been
discussed in the course of a technical meeting with Egypt which took place on 24/27 June 1997.

On  that  occasion,  it  was  agreed  to  hold,  possibly  before  the  summer  recess,  three  further  technical  meetings
respectively on processed agricultural products, rules of origin and tariff dismantling, with a view to a new full
negotiating round in September 1997.