EU signs ‘association agreement’ with Syria

Concluding seven years of negotiations, the EU has signed a
wide-ranging ‘association agreement’ on political and economic
co-operation with Syria.

The ‘association agreement’, which will now be submitted to the
Council and will later be ratified by the member states’
parliaments, completes the EU’s network of association agreements
with all partners identified in the Barcelona process. Similar
agreements have already been signed with Israel, the Palestinian
Authority, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Turkey and
Tunisia. The Syrian agreement had been held up over a clause
on weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

The agreement covers three areas. In the political chapter, the
agreement provides a framework for regular dialogue and contains
provisions on WMD and anti-terrorism-related issues. In the
economic chapter, the document foresees the establishment of a free
trade area between the EU and Syria by 2010. The agreement also
extends to co-operation in social and cultural matters.

The agreement comes with the US administration considering
tightening economic sanctions on Syria to put pressure on Damascus
to pull its troops out of Lebanon and crack down on
terrorism. 

Israel had called the agreement prior to its signing a “pity”.
Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said that it was “critical”
to step up international pressure and to isolate both Syria and
Iran. He also called on Europe to “strengthen the international
front against terror”. 

In 2003, the EU’s exports to Syria totalled around 2.2
billion euro, while Syria exported 3.1 billion euro worth of
goods to the Union.

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