EU And GCC Meet To Discuss Free Trade Agreement

by Ulrika Lomas, for LawAndTax-News.com, Brussels

08 April 2005

The 15th Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting between the European Union and the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Bahrain, co-chaired by Jean Asselborn, Minister for Foreign Affairs and current President of the Council of the European Union, took place on Tuesday.

The Joint Council meeting reportedly focused on the state of the free trade agreement negotiations between the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The two parties agreed that rapid progress was needed on a number of outstanding trade issues, particularly on services, industrial tariffs and public procurement, and noted the importance of a rapid conclusion of the negotiations on human rights, terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and migration issues.

In order to make further progress in the free trade negotiations, ministers agreed that the next round of talks should take place in Brussels on 7-9 June 2005.

"We are all committed to conclude these negotiations without undue delay, preferably before the end of 2005," Mr Asselborn told reporters following the meeting.

The GCC delegation was led by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bahrain and current President of the Ministerial Council of the GCC. The European Commission, meanwhile, was represented by the Commissioners for External Relations and Trade, Benita Ferrero-Waldner and Peter Mandelson.

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