Egypt, EU to sign transitional agreement next month
Egypt-European Union, Economics, 6/21/2003

European Union (EU) Commission Chief Ambassador Ian Boag preparations were already under way between Egypt and the EU to sign a transitional agreement within the framework of the Association Agreement between the two sides, expecting the signing to take place late next month.

Boag gave the statements on the fringe of his participation among EU delegations spearheaded by EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lami at the two-day World Trade Organisation (WTO) Informal Ministerial Meeting, to kick off Saturday at the Egyptian Red Sea Retreat of Sharm el Sheikh, to prepare for the WTO fifth ministerial conference slated for next September in Cancun, Mexico.

Boag said that this transitional agreement could make a great leap in the trade exchange and cooperation between the Egyptian and European sides and further trade and economic relations between them.

The EU ambassador in Cairo expected endorsement of the Egyptian-EU partnership agreement to be finalised by the end of this year or before the 10 potential EU members join the pan European organization in May 2004.

On the European ban on Egypt's potato exports, Boag said that the European Commission is awaiting the Egyptian reply on amounts of potatoes reported to have brown mould, noting some of the exports contracts concluded revealed some brown rot cases, a matter that blocks their access to the EU.

He pointed out that technical talks continued with the Egyptian organisations concerned on Egypt's dairy products, poultry and fish exports.

"These issues have to do mainly with consumers' health do not even fall within the context of trade talks between the Egyptian and European sides," he said.

He underlined the expected meeting between Minister of Foreign Trade Youssef Boutros Ghali and EU Trade Commissioner Lami on the sidelines of the WTO consultative meeting.

Lami will attentatively listen to issues to be explained by Ghali pertaining to strengthening trade and economic relations between the two sides and the topics Egypt wants to have a dialogue over with the EU.

Previous Stories:
  Egypt requests partnership agreement immediate execution before endorsement of parliaments   (4/12/2003)
  Shura Council approves Egypt-EU association agreement   (4/1/2003)
  Egypt-EU partnership agreement to be endorsed   (1/3/2003)

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