Euro-Mediterranean Trade Area Road Map adopted

Euro-Mediterranean Trade ministers have adopted the EuroMed Trade Area Road Map during their 8^th meeting held in Brussels in the framework of the Union for the Mediterranean. An EC press release said the Roadmap identified concrete actions that could enhance economic integration and boost Euro-Mediterranean trade and investment by 2010 and considers progressively turning the existing Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreements into deep and comprehensive Free Trade Agreements.  

Euromed Ministers also welcomed the significant progress made since the Marseille Ministerial in the negotiations on the establishment of a more efficient dispute settlement mechanism for the trade provisions of the Association Agreements. Ministers noted the signature of a bilateral protocol with Tunisia and the initialing of bilateral protocols with Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco.  

Support was also given at the meeting for a regional convention with uniform rules on the origin of goods, which will enable greater freedom of movement for goods.

EC press release at: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/547&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en