This section contains summaries of the main agreements between = by the=20 EU and Israel:
|
|
| The Association Agreement | |
| The Scientific and Technical Cooperation = Agreement | |
| The Public Procurement Agreements. | |
| Agreement on Good Laboratory = Practice |
The EU-Israel "Association Agreement" was signed in Brussels, =
on 20=20
November 1995, and following ratification by the 15 Member States=20
parliaments, the European Parliament and the Knesset, entered =
force on 1=20
June, 2000. It replaces the earlier Cooperation Agreement of 1975. =
The main features of the agreement include =
regular=20
political dialogue, provisions on freedom of establishment and=20
liberalisation of services, the free movement of capital and =
competition=20
rules, the strengthening of economic cooperation on the widest =
possible=20
basis and cooperation on social matters, supplemented by cultural=20
cooperation. An Association Council is foreseen which will meet =
once a=20
year at ministerial level. This is to be supported by an =
Association=20
Committee has also been set up, with responsibility for =
implementing the=20
Agreement. The Agreement reinforces the arrangements for trade in=20
industrial products which have been in force since the late 1970s. =
In line with the new generation of Association Agreements =
between the=20
EU and its Mediterranean partners, the preamble emphasises =
the=20
importance of the principles of the United Nations Charter, =
particularly=20
observance of human rights, democratic principles and economic =
freedom;=20
the need to strengthen political stability and economic =
development of the=20
region through the encouragement of regional co-operation; the =
need to=20
open a regular political dialogue in bilateral and =
international=20
contexts on issues of common interest; the need to maintain a =
dialogue on=20
scientific, technological, cultural, audio-visual and social =
matters to=20
the benefit of both parties; the respect for human rights and =
democratic=20
principles guides the internal and international policy of both =
Israel and=20
the Community and constitutes an essential and positive element of =
the=20
Agreement. At Israel's request, there is a Joint Declaration on =
the=20
importance both parties attach to the struggle against xenophobia, =
antisemitism and racism. The main text refers to regular political dialogue at =
ministerial and=20
senior official levels, and at parliamentary level through =
contacts=20
between the European Parliament and the Knesset. Emphasis is =
placed on=20
peace, security and regional cooperation and on the need to =
contribute to=20
the stability and prosperity of the Mediterranean region and to =
promote=20
understanding and tolerance. Regarding free movement of goods, the =
Agreement confirms the existence of free trade in manufactured =
goods. The=20
rules of origin for Israeli products are more flexible in the new=20
agreement than there were under the 1975 Cooperation Agreement. =
There is=20
to be progressive and reciprocal liberalisation of trade =
agricultural=20
products and extension of precedent concessions on a reciprocal =
basis.=20
Other areas of cooperation covered by the Agreement include the =
agreement to negotiate for: Cooperation between States in the region will be =
encouraged.=20
Guidelines will be defined during the political dialogue and the =
two=20
parties will encourage initiatives designed to promote cooperation =
between=20
Israel, on the one hand, and other countries in the region and the =
West=20
Bank and Gaza on the other. Priority areas are =
interconnection of=20
energy networks, water, environment, communications infrastructure =
and=20
regional networks between institutions. Israel was the first non-European country to be associated to =
the=20
European Community=92s Framework Programme of (to erase the word) =
research=20
and technical development (RTD). Israel's special status is the =
result of=20
its very high level of scientific competence and the dense network =
of=20
longstanding relations in scientific and technical cooperation =
between=20
Israel and the EU. (to erase the sentence). Israel first entered =
the=20
Fourth Framework programme in August 1996. On 8 March 1999, the =
=93Second=20
Agreement for Scientific and Technical Cooperation between the =
European=20
Community and Israel=94 came into force. This agreement =
=93fully=92 Associated=20
Israel with the 5th Framework programme for Community RTD =
(1999-2002). For=20
comprehensive information on EU-Israel cooperation in Science and=20
Technology visit the The EC and Israel were participants in the=20
negotiations which led to the WTO's new Government Procurement =
Agreement=20
(GPA). However, Israel delayed ratification pending an expansion =
of=20
coverage to include access to procurement tenders for =
telecommunications=20
equipment in the EU. As part of the negotiations toward an =
EU-Israel=20
Association Agreement, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to =
mutually open their respective procurement markets. Subsequent=20
negotiations were completed on 22 December 1995 resulting in two =
draft=20
agreements and Israel's ratification of the GPA prior to its entry =
into=20
force on 1 January 1996. The Agreement covers government procurement complementing and=20
broadening the scope of commitments under the GPA. It represents =
real=20
progress in the EU's goal to continue to open up public =
procurement=20
markets beyond what has already been achieved in the GPA. Israel =
will be=20
commited to further market opening in urban transport, services, =
medical=20
equipment and sub-central government procurement, such as =
municipal and=20
state agencies. The Agreement on telecommunications procurement is purely =
bilateral.=20
It provides for a mutual opening of procurement by =
telecommunications=20
operators through granting an exchange of national treatment. In =
Israel a=20
price preference provision of 15% in favour of Israeli products =
will not=20
apply against EC bidders. In the EU the provisions of Article 36 =
of the=20
Utilities Directive (93/38 EEC) will not be applied against =
tenders=20
comprising products of Israeli origin. The two Agreements build on the close political and economic=20
relationship established between Israel and the EU under the =
Association=20
Agreement thus making a concrete contribution to the region's =
economic=20
development and political stabilisation. Hopefully their =
conclusion will=20
send a positive message to the ongoing GATS negotiations in =
particular=20
those in the field of telecommunications services and government=20
procurement. The two Agreements came into force on 1 August 1997. The full text of the agreements can be found in the Official =
Journal=20
of the European Communities L202 of 30 July =
1997
Discussions on further concessions began in 2000.
- the further liberalisation of =
right of=20
establishment of firms;
- the freedom of all restrictions on =
capital=20
movement;
- transparency in state aid and adjustment in state=20
monopolies;
- intellectual, industrial and commercial property =
rights=20
will be in accordance with highest international =
standards;
there will=20
be economic cooperation in certain areas of mutual interest: =
regional,=20
industrial, agricultural, standards, financial services, customs,=20
environment, energy, information and telecommunications, =
transport,=20
tourism, approximation of laws, drugs and money laundering,=20
migration;
- co-productions in the press and audio-visual media =
and=20
associating Israeli with Community initiatives; there will be =
cooperation=20
in the cultural sphere for better mutual understanding of =
respective=20
cultures, promotion of youth exchanges, exchanges between =
universities and=20
other educational establishments and language training;
- =
activities of=20
mutual interest will be promoted in the information and =
communications=20
field.
The agreement was signed on =
26.7.99 and=20
came into force on=20
1.5.2000