EU to open farm trade talks with Euro-Med countries

The European Union has agreed to open negotiations with its Euro-Mediterranean partners to further open up trade in fresh and processed agricultural and fisheries products. The aim of the talks is to achieve wide-ranging trade liberalisation by 2010, as foreseen in the 'Barcelona Declaration' signed in 1995. The negotiations will cover all products as well as non-trade aspects such as rural development, technical barriers to trade, sanitary issues and quality policy. The negotiations should be concluded in sufficient time to allow the entry into force of the revised agreements preferably on 1 January 2007. This would allow the implementation of the necessary adjustments over a reasonable transition period, so as to achieve trade liberalisation by 2010 as foreseen in the Barcelona Process.