Creating a free trade area between the EU and the Mediterranean
The European Commission has adopted a communication deigned to facilitate the creation of a free-trade area between the EU and the countries of the Mediterranean by 2010. This follows on from the Barcelona Convention of November 1995, which set out the objectives of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, the most important concerning economic and financial cooperation. The process will aim to ensure greater competitiveness as well as the modernisation of the economies of the partner countries, and will also expand regional cooperation among the Mediterranean countries themselves. The communication sets out a programme of initiatives in the following fields: - Customs and taxation; - Free movement of goods; - Public procurement; - Intellectual property rights; - Financial services; - Data protection; - Accounting and auditing. The support provided will take the form of an information, clarification and technical assistance package in line with the objectives and the procedures of the MEDA programme. These initiatives will be financed entirely from the funds allocated to the MEDA programme.