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The Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area (EMFTA) is a free trade zone under construction since the Barcelona Declaration, a framework plan, was adopted in 1995. It is being built through a series of bilateral FTAs (called Association Agreements) between Brussels and each state bordering the Mediterrean, as well as so-called horizontal FTAs between the non-EU Mediterranean countries themselves, such as the Agadir Agreement.
The countries in question are Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey. (Libya is left out of the EMFTA plan as such, but will be served a separate bilateral trade and investment deal from the EU.) Many people view the EU’s ambitions to build this special "partnership" with North African and Middle Eastern states — which involves not only trade and investment liberalisation but deep political reform, what Brussels calls "approximation" of other countries’ legal and political institutions with its own — as both imperialist and neocolonial. This is all the more significant taking into account the United States’ plans to weave together a US-Middle East Free Trade Agreement (MEFTA). For the two are in direct competition. EMFTA is supposed to be completed by 2010. However, an ongoing sustainability impact assessment of EMFTA commissioned by the EU already foresees important negative social and environmental consequences. Complicating things further, French President Sarkozy took the inititative to set up a Union for the Mediterranean, involving only the countries that border the sea, which was launched in July 2008. Further still, questions have been arising as to why the EU does not merge its Mediterranean FTA initiative with its GCC FTA initiative. last update: April 2009 Articles
La date d’entrée en vigueur de la zone de libre échange entre l’Algérie et l’Union européenne prévue à partir de 2017 et qui implique un démantèlement tarifaire complet « est remise aux calendes grecques », a déclaré un responsable au ministère du Commerce. 
The fresh produce organizations members of the Joint French-Spanish-Italian Committee wrote to the European Parliament to claim their vote against the renewal of the EU-Morocco Association Agreement.
EU-Morocco food products agreement
| 15-June-2010
After four years of intensive negotiations between the European Union and Morocco, the agreement on trade in food products has been initialed. It still needs to be concluded after adoption by the European Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. And yet, this initiative is not receiving unanimous support.
Bruxelles veut aider les produits palestiniens à entrer dans l’UE
| 11-June-2010
"La Commission européenne devrait proposer dans les prochains mois (aux pays de l’UE) d’accorder l’accès en franchise de droit et sans contingent aux exportations palestiniennes à destination de l’UE", a annoncé jeudi le commissaire européen chargé du Commerce Karel De Gucht.
EU to open market fully to Palestinian exports soon
| 11-June-2010
The European Commission plans to open European Union markets fully to Palestinian exports in the coming months to help strengthen the Palestinian economy, the EU trade chief said on Thursday.
Difficult Algeria-EU ties may deepen
| 9-June-2010
Algeria is dissatisfied with its relations with the European Union (EU), claiming these only secure EU gas imports and EU consumer goods exports. But a deepening of ties is now being prepared. 
La postura de los profesionales del campo español es firme, pues entienden que la apertura de las fronteras europeas a las exportaciones marroquíes les perjudica de manera especial, mientras que beneficia a los del norte de Europa 
La Coordination Européenne Via Campesina demande à Catherine Ashton, Haute Représentante de l’UE pour les affaires étrangères et Vice-Présidente de la Commission Européenne, d’agir sans délai afin que l’UE suspende les accords commerciaux UE/Israël. 
L’eurodéputé a demandé « la suspension de tous les accords de partenariats économiques entre l’Union européenne et Israël et la réunion du Conseil de sécurité des Nations Unies pour faire appliquer, dans les plus brefs délais, les résolutions visant à la création d’un État palestinien ». 
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Campaign National Committee welcomes the long overdue ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union that Israeli products originating from Israel’s colonial settlements built on Occupied Palestinian Territory do not qualify for preferential customs treatment under the EC-Israel trade agreement |
Le stand de l’UE à la conférence sur le sida "saisi" par des militants défenseurs des génériques
| 21-July-2010
Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on the U.S.- South Korea Trade Agreement
| 30-June-2010
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