European Union Association Agreement

A European Union Association Agreement (for short, Association Agreement or AA) is a treaty between the European Union (EU), its Member States 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).

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. 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

The EU 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 accepted by the European Union and need to be ratified by all the EU member states and the state concerned.

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) and Turkey in (1963).

In recent history, such agreements have been 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 Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, and potential candidates Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo) 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. Several of the Eastern Partnership states are ratifying or 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

EU Association Agreements

EU member states

European Economic Area

Stabilisation and Association Agreement

Stabilisation and Association Agreement signed

Agreement Establishing an Association

Partnership and Cooperation Agreement; Association Agreement signed or under negotiations

Association Agreement under negotiations

Euro-Mediterranean Agreement Establishing an Association

Interim Euro-Mediterranean Agreement Establishing an Association

Cooperation Agreement; Euro-Mediterranean Agreement Establishing an Association initialled

Partnership and Cooperation Agreement

Partnership and Cooperation Agreement signed

Negotiations on a Framework Agreement suspended

Association Agreements

In force

• Albania SAA (2009)
• Algeria EMAA (2005)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina SAA (2015)
• Chile AA (2005)
• Egypt EMAA (2004)
• Iceland EEA (1994)
• Israel EMAA (2000)
• Jordan EMAA (2002)
• Lebanon EMAA (2006)
• Liechtenstein EEA (1995)
• Macedonia SAA (2004)
• Montenegro SAA (2010)
• Morocco EMAA (2000)
• Norway EEA (1994)
• Serbia SAA (2013)
• South Africa ATDC (2004)
• Syria CA (1978)
• Tunisia EMAA (1998)
• Turkey AA (1964) the framework for a CU (1995)
• ACP PA (2003)

Currently undergoing ratification

• Central America AA (signed in 2012)
• Georgia AA (signed on 27 June 2014)
• Kosovo* SAA (signed on 27 October 2015)
• Moldova AA (signed on 27 June 2014)
• Ukraine AA (political provisions of the AA signed on 21 March 2014, remaining provisions signed on 27 June 2014)

Currently in negotiations

• Andorra AA
• Azerbaijan AA
• Libya (negotiations for a Framework Agreement were launched in 2008, but suspended in 2011 due to the Libyan Civil War; as of 2014 the EU is seeking to re-launch the negotiations)
• Mercosur AA
• Monaco AA
• San Marino AA
• Syria EMAA (initialled in 2008, but ratification has been stalled by the EU due to concerns over the Syrian Civil War)

Free-trade agreements

EU Free trade agreements

Main article: European Union free trade agreements

• Andorra CU (1991)
• Faroe Islands (autonomous constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark) FTA (1997)
• Iceland FTA (1973)
• Liechtenstein FTA (1973)
• Mexico EPPCCA (2000)
• Monaco CU (1958)
• Norway FTA (1973)
• Palestinian Authority interim EMAA (1997)
• San Marino CCU (2002)
• South Korea FTA (2015)
• Switzerland FTA (1973)

Currently undergoing ratification

• Colombia and Peru FTA (signed in 2012)
• Cameroon Interim EPA (signed in 2009)
• CARIFORUM EPA (signed in 2008)
• Côte d'Ivoire Stepping Stone EPA (signed in 2009)
• Madagascar, Mauritius, the Seychelles, and Zimbabwe Interim EPA (signed in 2009)

Currently in negotiations

• Australia FTA
• Canada CETA (finalised in September 2014, but not signed)
• Ecuador FTA (finalised in July 2014, but not signed)
• India FTA
• Japan FTA
• Malaysia FTA
• Morocco DCFTA
• New Zealand FTA
• Singapore FTA (finalised in October 2014, but not signed)
• Thailand FTA
• Tunisia DCFTA
• United States TTIP
• Vietnam FTA (finalised in December 2015, but not signed)
• APC Pacific EPA
• ASEAN FTA (negotiations suspended in 2009)
• EAC EPA (finalised in October 2014, but not signed)
• ESA states EPA
• ECOWAS EPA (finalised in February 2014, but not signed)
• Central Africa states EPA
• GCC FTA (negotiations suspended in 2008)
• SADC EPA (finalised in July 2014, but not signed)

Other agreements

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

• Andorra CA (2005)
• Armenia PCA (1999)
• ASEAN CA (1980), valid only for Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
• Azerbaijan PCA (1999)
• GCC CA (1989)
• Georgia PCA (1999)
• Indonesia ACPC (2014)
• Kazakhstan PCA (1999)
• Kyrgyzstan PCA (1999)
• Moldova PCA (1998)
• Mongolia ATEC (1993)
• Papua New Guinea Interim PA (2011)
• Russia PCA (1997)
• Tajikistan PCA (2010)
• Ukraine PCA (1998)
• USSR TCA (1989), endorsed by Tajikistan in 1994 and by Turkmenistan
• Uzbekistan PCA (1999)
• Vietnam CA (1996)
• Yemen CA (1998)

Currently undergoing ratification

• Belarus PCA (signed in 1995)
• Fiji Interim PA (signed in 2009)
• Iraq PCA (signed in 2012)
• Kazakhstan Enhanced PCA (signed in 2015)
• Mongolia ACPC (signed in 2013)
• Philippines PCA (signed in 2012)
• Turkmenistan PCA (signed in 1998)
• Vietnam ACPC (signed in 2012)

Currently in negotiations

• Armenia
• Malaysia PCA
• Russia (negotiations suspended in 2010)
• Singapore PCA
• Thailand PCA

Defunct agreements

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

• Albania ATCEC (1992), superseded by SAA in 2009
• Algeria CA (1978), superseded by EMAA in 2005
• Bulgaria EAA (1995), acceded to the EU in 2007
• Croatia SAA (2005), acceded to the EU in 2013
• Cyprus AA (1973), acceded to the EU in 2004
• Czech Republic EAA (1995), acceded to the EU in 2004
• Egypt CA (1978), superseded by EMAA in 2004
• Estonia EAA (1998), acceded to the EU in 2004
• Greece AA (1961), acceded to the EU in 1981
• Hungary EAA (1994), acceded to the EU in 2004
• Latvia EAA (1998), acceded to the EU in 2004
• Lithuania EAA (1998), acceded to the EU in 2004
• Macedonia CA (1998), superseded by SAA in 2004
• Malta AA (1971), acceded to the EU in 2004
• Mexico CA (1991), superseded by EPPCCA in 2000
• Morocco CA (1978), superseded by EMAA in 2000
• Poland EAA (1994), acceded to the EU in 2004
• Romania EAA (1995), acceded to the EU in 2007
• Serbia FA FRY-EU (2000)
• Slovakia EAA (1995), acceded to the EU in 2004
• Slovenia EAA (1999), acceded to the EU in 2004
• Tunisia CA (1978), superseded by EMAA in 1998
• ACP Convention (1976, 1981, 1986, 1991), superseded by PA in 2003

Legend

• AA = Agreement Establishing an Association/Association Agreement
• ACPC = Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation
• ATDC = Agreement on Trade, Development and Cooperation
• CETA = Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement
• CA = Cooperation Agreement
• CCU = Agreement on Cooperation and Customs Union
• CU = Customs Union
• DCFTA = Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement
• EPA = Economic Partnership Agreement
• EPPCCA = Economic Partnership, Political Coordination and Cooperation Agreement

• EAA = Europe Agreement Establishing an Association
• EEA = European Economic Area
• EMAA = Euro-Mediterranean Agreement Establishing an Association
• FTA = Free Trade Agreement
• PA = Partnership Agreement
• PCA = Partnership and Cooperation Agreement/Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation
• SAA = Stabilisation and Association Agreement
• ATCEC = Agreement on Trade and Commercial and Economic Cooperation
• ATEC = Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation
• TTIP = Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

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 Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia. The Republic of Kosovo unilaterally declared independence on 17 February 2008, but Serbia continues to claim it as part of its own sovereign territory. The two governments began to normalise relations in 2013, as part of the Brussels Agreement. Kosovo has been recognised as an independent state by 108 out of 193 United Nations member states.

External links

• Free trade agreements
• EU free trade agreements
• Council of the European Union Agreements and conventions database
• European External Action Service Treaties Office Database
• EU Neighbourhood Info Centre
• EU Neighbourhood Library