Euro-Mediterranean free trade area

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The Euro-Mediterranean free trade area (EU-MEFTA) is based on the Barcelona Process and European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The Barcelona Process, developed after the Barcelona Conference in successive annual meetings, is a set of goals designed to lead to a free trade area in the Middle East by 2010.

It is envisioned that an FTA with Rules of Origin with Pan-Euro-Mediterranean cumulation will be created. It will cover the EU, the EFTA, the EU customs unions with third states (Turkey, Andorra, San Marino), the EU candidate states, the partners of the Barcelona Process and possibly at a later stage all of the European Neighbourhood Policy partners. [1].

The Agadir Agreement of 2004 (FTA between Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt) is seen as its first building block. Further steps are envisioned into the ENP Action plans negotiated between the European Union and the partner states on the southern shores of the Mediterranean Sea.

The initial aim is to create a matrix of Free Trade Agreements between each of the partners and the others. Then a single free trade area is to be formed, including the European Union.

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

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

Contents 1 Partners 2 Prospective partners 3 FTA Progress 4 Comparison with other regional blocs 5 See also

[edit] Partners

• European Union
• Morocco
• Algeria
• Tunisia
• Egypt
• Jordan
• Lebanon
• Israel
• Palestinian Authority

[edit] Prospective partners

• Syria
• Libya (member of the Arab Maghreb Union)
• Gulf Cooperation Council
• Iraq
• Mauritania (member of the Arab Maghreb Union)

[edit] FTA Progress

	EU associated			Other Barcelona Conference partners									Prospective partners
	EU	EFTA	Turkey CU	Morocco	Algeria	Tunisia	Egypt	Jordan	Lebanon	Syria	Israel	PA	Libya	GCC	Mauritania	Iraq	SADR
EU		FTA 1973	CU 1996	AA 2000	AA 2005	AA 1998	AA 2004	AA 2002	AA 2006	AA	AA 2000	AA 1997		FTA
EFTA	FTA 1973		FTA 1992	FTA 1999		FTA 2005		FTA 2002	FTA 2005		FTA 1993	FTA 1999
Turkey CU	CU 1996	FTA 1992		?		FTA 2005	FTA 2006	?	?	?	FTA 1997	FTA 2005
Morocco	AA 2000	FTA 1999	?			Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005	Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005	Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005
Algeria	AA 2005							FTA
Tunisia	AA 1998	FTA 2005	FTA 2005	Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005			Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005	Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005
Egypt	AA 2004		FTA 2006	Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005		Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005		Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005
Jordan	AA 2002	FTA 2002	?	Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005	FTA	Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005	Agadir 2004, GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005
Lebanon	AA 2006	FTA 2005	?	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		FTA 2002, GAFTA 2005
Syria	AA		?	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005			GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005
Israel	AA 2000	FTA 1993	FTA 1997									CU 1994
PA	AA 1997	FTA 1999	FTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	CU 1994		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005
Libya				GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005
GCC	FTA			GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005			GAFTA 2005
Mauritania
Iraq				GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	FTA 2002, GAFTA 2005		GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005	GAFTA 2005
SADR

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

[edit] Comparison with other regional blocs

Most active regional blocs
(as of 2004, except as noted)

Regional bloc1	Area		Population	GDP ($US)				Member states1
	km²	sq mi		in millions (PPP)	in millions (nominal)	per capita (PPP)	per capita (nominal)
AU	29,797,500	11,504,879	897,548,804	1,515,000	1,131,850	1,896	1,261	53
ASEAN (2007 est.)	4,497,493	1,736,000	566,500,000	3,115,480	1,173,000	5,541	2,041	10
CACM	422,614	163,172	37,816,598	159,536	84,792	4,219	2,242	5
CARICOM	462,344	178,512	14,565,083	64,219	24,020	4,409	1,649	(14+1)3
CCASG / GCC	2,285,844	882,569	35,869,438	536,223	717,800	14,949	20,011	6
CEFTA	298,148	115,116	28,929,682	222,041	122,001	7,675	4,217	(7+1)3
EU (2007 est.)	4,324,782	1,669,808	497,000,000	14,953,000	16,574,000	28,213	33,482	27
EurAsEC	20,789,100	8,026,720	208,067,618	1,689,137	1,125,528	8,118	5,409	6
EFTA (2007 est.)	529,600	204,480	12,660,623	567,500	743,300	44,828	60,000	4
GAFTA	9,421,946	3,637,834	280,727,416	1,341,298	N/A	4,778	N/A	(16+1)3
GUAM	810,506	312,938	63,764,600	456,173	106,469	7,154	1,670	4
NAFTA (2007 est.)	21,783,850	8,410,792	445,000,000	15,857,000	15,723,000	35,491	35,564	3
PARTA	528,151	203,920	7,810,905	23,074	N/A	2,954	N/A	(12+2)3
SAARC	5,136,740	1,983,306	1,467,255,669	4,074,031	N/A	2,777	N/A	8
Unasur / Unasul	17,339,153	6,694,684	370,158,470	2,868,430	N/A	7,749	N/A	12
UN and countries for reference2	Area		Population	GDP ($US)				Units4
	km²	sq mi		in millions (PPP)	in millions (nominal)	per capita (PPP)	per capita (nominal)
UN	133,178,011	51,420,318	6,411,682,270	55,167,630	48,245,198	8,604	7,524	192
Brazil (2007 est.)	8,514,877	3,287,612	183,888,841	1,804,000	1,067,706	10,073	6,842	27
Canada (2007 est.)	9,984,670	3,855,103	33,000,000	1,274,000	1,406,000	38,200	42,738	13
India (2007 est.)	3,287,590	1,269,346	1,120,000,000	4,726,000	1,089,000	4,182	1,004	35
Japan (2007 est.)	377,873	145,898	127,433,494	4,346,000	4,346,000	33,800	38,341	47
PR China5 (2007 est.)	9,596,960	3,705,407	1,321,851,888	7,043,000	3,420,000	5,300	2,800	33
Russia (2007 est.)	17,075,200	6,592,772	142,500,000	2,076,000	1,286,000	14,600	9,056	83
USA (2007 est.)	9,826,630	3,794,083	302,000,000	13,543,000	13,794,700	43,500	45,594	50
Source: CIA World Factbook 2005, IMF WEO Database, IMF nominal figures for 2006.[citation needed] Legend      smallest value among the blocs compared     largest value among the blocs compared Footnotes 1 Including data only for full and most active members. 2 Including the largest five countries by area, population (not #4), GDP (PPP) (not #5), and GDP (nominal) (not #3 or #5). 3 Including non-sovereign autonomous areas of other states. 4 Members or administrative divisions. 5 Data for the People's Republic of China does not include Hong Kong, Macau, or the independent Republic of China (Taiwan) (over which PRC claims sovereignty). This box: view • talk • edit

[edit] See also

• Middle East Free Trade Area (US-MEFTA)
• Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe
• Mediterranean Union
• List of free trade agreements
• List of Trade blocs
• economic integration
• African Economic Community