- Negotiations
The European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council signed an Economic Cooperation Agreement in 1988 which laid the framework for the elaboration of a bilateral free trade agreement between the two regional blocs. Formal negotiations began in 1990 and are still not concluded.
While the EU has powerful economic interests in liberalising investment rules in the Gulf States, so that EU corporations may participate directly in the region’s oil, banking, telecoms, port services and other industries, political issues have been publically blamed for blocking agreement. These include demands from the EU with regards to fulfilling standards of democracy and human rights, as well as clauses on cooperation against terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. Human rights groups, such as the International Federation for Human Rights, have urged the EU to insist on respect for freedom of press, women’s rights and labour rights of migrant workers in the Gulf countries in return for any trade concessions granted through the FTA.
At the end of 2008, the GCC formally announced it was suspending the trade talks due to the EU’s insistence on political demands.
last update: May 2012
photo: European External Action Service - EEAS/CC BY-NC 2.0
9-Feb-2026
DW
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrapped up a three-day tour of the Gulf region in Abu Dhabi by positioning Germany as a reliable investment partner, and eyeing a central role in a potential EU trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
9-Feb-2026
Euronews
The EU’s special envoy to the Gulf said it’s high time to get a deal done as Brussels looks to bolster business ties with wealthy Arab nations. Free trade talks have stalled for two decades over political disagreements and conditions for market access.
5-Jan-2026
DW
Members of the European Parliament demand that the EU end talks with the UAE over a trade deal. The UAE is suspected of sending arms to a Sudanese paramilitary accused of war crimes, which the Emirati government denies.
12-Dec-2025
Reuters
Free trade talks between the United Arab Emirates and the European Union are advancing rapidly, UAE state minister Lana Nusseibeh said at a briefing with an EU commissioner.
30-May-2025
ARN
The UAE and European Union have held talks on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement that will deepen trade ties and open opportunities for investment and innovation.
14-Apr-2025
FCW
The EU and UAE have agreed to launch formal negotiations for a free trade agreement, with green hydrogen, renewable energy, and critical raw materials set to be central pillars of the deal.
11-Apr-2025
The National
The UAE and the EU have agreed to begin talks on a potential trade deal, in what would be a landmark agreement for the two sides.
2-Dec-2024
AGBI
European and Gulf officials are holding “informal” efforts to “revive” and even “upgrade” negotiations over a free trade agreement between the two blocks.
2-Dec-2024
Gulf Times
Qatar has called for expediting negotiations on a free trade agreement between the Gulf Co-operation Council or GCC and the European Union.
16-Oct-2024
Reuters
Talks on an EU-GCC free trade agreement, which began 35 years ago, have been suspended since 2008. The UAE has urged the EU to start talks on a separate trade pact with it.
