A European Union Association Agreement (for short, Association Agreement or AA) is a treaty between the European Union (EU) and a non-EU country that creates a framework for co-operation between them. Areas frequently covered by such agreements include the development of political, trade, social, cultural and security links. The legal base for the conclusion of the association agreements is provided by art. 217 TFEU (former art. 310 and art. 238 TEC).
Contents
Overview
Association Agreements are broad framework agreements between the EU (or its predecessors), and its member states, and an external state which governs their bilateral relations. The provision for an association agreement was included in the Treaty of Rome, which established the European Economic Community, as a means to enable co-operation of the Community with the United Kingdom, which had retreated from the treaty negotiations at the Messina Conference of 1955. According to the European External Action Service, for an agreement to be classified as an AA, it must meet several criteria:[1]
1. The legal basis for their conclusion is Article 217 TFEU (former art. 310 and art. 238 TEC)
2. Intention to establish close economic and political cooperation (more than simple cooperation);
3. Creation of paritary bodies for the management of the cooperation, competent to take decisions that bind the contracting parties;
4. Offering Most Favoured Nation treatment;
5. Providing for a privileged relationship between the EC and its partner;
6. Since 1995 the clause on the respect of human rights and democratic principles is systematically included and constitutes an essential element of the agreement;
7. In a large number of cases, the association agreement replaces a cooperation agreement thereby intensifying the relations between the partners.— European External Action Service
AAs go by a variety of names (Euro-Mediterranean Agreement Establishing an Association, Europe Agreement Establishing an Association, etc.) and need not necessarily even have the word "Association" in the title. Some AAs contain a promise of future EU membership for the contracting state.
The first states to sign such an agreements were Greece (1961)[2] and Turkey in (1963).[3]
The EU today typically concludes Association Agreements in exchange for commitments to political, economic, trade, or human rights reform in a country. In exchange, the country may be offered tariff-free access to some or all EU markets (industrial goods, agricultural products, etc.), and financial or technical assistance. Most recently signed AAs also include a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the EU and the third country.
Association Agreements have to be ratified by all the EU member states.
In recent history, such agreements are signed as part of two EU policies: Stabilisation and Association Process (SAp) and European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The countries of the western Balkans (official candidates Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, applicant Albania, and potential candidates Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo[a]) are covered by SAp and the EU signs "Stabilisation and Association Agreements" (SAA) with them. The countries of the Mediterranean (Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia) and Eastern Europe neighbours (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, but excluding Russia that insists on creating four EU-Russia Common Spaces) are covered by ENP. Seven of the Mediterranean states have a "Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association" (EMAA) in force, while another has an interim EMAA in force.[4] Several of the Eastern Partnership states are negotiating AAs.
Both the SAA and ENP AP are based mostly on the EU's acquis communautaire and its promulgation in the co-operating states legislation. Of course the depth of the harmonisation is less than for full EU members and some policy areas may not be covered (depending on the particular state).
In addition to these two policies, AAs with free-trade agreement provisions have been signed with other states and trade blocs including Chile, and South Africa.
EU Agreements with third states
![](https://web.archive.org/web/20140526075253im_/http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/EU_Association_Agreements.svg/400px-EU_Association_Agreements.svg.png)
Association Agreements
- Albania SAA (2009)[5]
- Algeria EMAA (2005)[6]
- Chile AA (2005)[7]
- Egypt EMAA (2004)[8]
- Iceland EEA (1994)[9]
- Israel EMAA (2000)[10]
- Jordan EMAA (2002)[11]
- Lebanon EMAA (2006)[12]
- Liechtenstein EEA (1994)[9]
- Macedonia[13] SAA (2004)[14]
- Montenegro SAA (2010)[15]
- Morocco EMAA (2000)[16]
- Norway EEA (1994)[9]
- Serbia SAA (2013)[17]
- South Africa ATDC (2004)[18]
- Syria CA (1978)[19]
- Tunisia EMAA (1998)[20]
- Turkey AA (1964),[21] the framework for a CU (1995)
- ACP PA (2003)[22]
Currently undergoing ratification
- Bosnia and Herzegovina SAA (signed in 2008, interim agreement in force)[23]
- Central America AA (signed in 2012)[24]
- Ukraine AA including a DCFTA (Initialled in 2012;[25][26][27] political provisions of the AA were signed on 21 March 2014,[28] DCFTA will be signed after a presidential election in May 2014.[29])[30]
Currently in negotiations
- Armenia AA[31]
- Azerbaijan AA[32]
- Georgia AA and DCFTA (initialled in 2013,[33] to be signed on 27 June 2014[34])
- Kosovo* SAA (negotiations completed in 2014[35])
- Mercosur AA[36][37][38]
- Moldova AA and DCFTA (initialled in 2013[39][40])
- Syria EMAA (initialled in 2008,[41] but ratification has been stalled by the EU due to concerns over the Syrian Civil War[42])
Free-trade agreements
- Andorra CU (1991)[43]
- Faroe Islands (autonomous constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark) FTA (1997)[44]
- Iceland FTA (1973)
- Liechtenstein FTA (1973)
- Mexico EPPCCA (2000)[45]
- Norway FTA (1973)
- Palestinian Authority interim EMAA (1997)[46][4]
- San Marino CCU (2002)[47]
- Switzerland FTA (1973)[48]
Currently undergoing ratification
- Colombia and Peru FTA (signed in 2012)[49]
- South Korea FTA (signed in 2011)[50]
- CARIFORUM EPA (signed in 2008)[51]
Currently in negotiations
- Cameroon EPA[52]
- Canada CETA[38]
- Côte d'Ivoire EPA[52]
- Ecuador FTA (negotiations suspended in 2009)[38][53]
- Ghana EPA[54]
- India FTA[55][38]
- Japan FTA[56]
- Malaysia FTA[57][38]
- Morocco DCFTA[58]
- Singapore FTA[38]
- Thailand FTA[59]
- United States TTIP[60]
- Vietnam FTA[61]
- ASEAN FTA (negotiations suspended in 2009)[38]
- EAC EPA[62]
- GCC FTA (negotiations suspended in 2008)[38][54]
- SADC EPA[63]
Other Agreements
- Andorra CA (2005)[64]
- Armenia PCA (1999)[65]
- Azerbaijan PCA (1999)[66]
- GCC CA (1989)[67]
- Georgia PCA (1999)[68]
- Kazakhstan PCA (1999)[69]
- Kyrgyzstan PCA (1999)[70]
- Moldova PCA (1998)[71]
- Mongolia ATEC (1993)[72]
- Russia PCA (1997)[73]
- Serbia FA FRY-EU (2000)
- Tajikistan PCA (2010)[74]
- Ukraine PCA (1998)[75]
- USSR TCA (1989), endorsed by Tajikistan in 1994 and by Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan PCA (1999)[76]
- Vietnam CA (1996)[77]
Currently undergoing ratification
- Belarus PCA (signed in 1995)[78]
- Mongolia ACPC (signed 2013)[79]
- Turkmenistan PCA (signed in 1998)[80]
Currently in negotiations
- Indonesia PCA (concluded and waiting to be signed)
- Vietnam PCA
- Thailand PCA
- Singapore PCA
- Philippines PCA
- Malaysia PCA[81]
Defunct agreements
- Albania ATCEC (1992),[82] superseded by SAA in 2009
- Algeria CA (1978),[83] superseded by EMAA in 2005
- Bulgaria EAA (1995),[84] acceded to the EU in 2007
- Croatia SAA (2005),[85] acceded to the EU in 2013
- Cyprus AA (1973),[86] acceded to the EU in 2004
- Czech Republic EAA (1995),[87] acceded to the EU in 2004
- Egypt CA (1978),[88] superseded by EMAA in 2004
- Estonia EAA (1998),[89] acceded to the EU in 2004
- Greece AA (1961), acceded to the EU in 1981
- Hungary EAA (1994),[90] acceded to the EU in 2004
- Latvia EAA (1998),[91] acceded to the EU in 2004
- Lithuania EAA (1998),[92] acceded to the EU in 2004
- Macedonia CA (1998),[93] superseded by SAA in 2004
- Malta AA (1971),[94] acceded to the EU in 2004
- Mexico CA (1991),[95] superseded by EPPCCA in 2000
- Morocco CA (1978),[96] superseded by EMAA in 2000
- Poland EAA (1994),[97] acceded to the EU in 2004
- Romania EAA (1995),[98] acceded to the EU in 2007
- Slovakia EAA (1995),[99] acceded to the EU in 2004
- Slovenia EAA (1999),[100] acceded to the EU in 2004
- Tunisia CA (1978),[101] superseded by EMAA in 1998
- ACP Convention (1976,[102] 1981,[103] 1986,[104] 1991[105]), superseded by PA in 2003
- Legend
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See also
- European Union
- European Union free trade agreements
- Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe
- Free trade areas in Europe
- EU-ACP Economic Partnership Agreements
Notes
a. | ^ Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Kosovo. The latter declared independence on 17 February 2008, but Serbia continues to claim it as part of its own sovereign territory. Kosovo's independence has been recognised by 107 out of 193 United Nations member states. |
References
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- ^ "Accord créant une association entre la Communauté économique européenne et la Grèce". Official Journal of the European Union (in French). P 26/1963: 294–342. 18 February 1963. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ^ "Accord créant une association entre la Communauté économique européenne et la Turquie – Protocole n° 1 : protocole provisoire – Protocole n° 2 : protocole financier – Acte final – Déclarations". Official Journal of the European Union (in French). P 217/1964. 29 December 1964. pp. 3687–3697. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
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External links
- Free trade agreements
- EU free trade agreements
- Council of the European Union Agreements database
- European External Action Service Treaties Office Database
- EU-ACP countries Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) Negotiations: Where do we stand?
- EU Neighbourhood Info Centre
- EU Neighbourhood Library
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