EU-GCC

The European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council signed an Economic Cooperation Agreement in 1988 which laid the framework for the elaboration of a bilateral free trade agreement between the two regional blocs. Formal negotiations began in 1990 and are still not concluded.

While the EU has powerful economic interests in liberalising investment rules in the Gulf States, so that EU corporations may participate directly in the region’s oil, banking, telecoms, port services and other industries, political issues have been publically blamed for blocking agreement. These include demands from the EU with regards to fulfilling standards of democracy and human rights, as well as clauses on cooperation against terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. Human rights groups, such as the International Federation for Human Rights, have urged the EU to insist on respect for freedom of press, women’s rights and labour rights of migrant workers in the Gulf countries in return for any trade concessions granted through the FTA.

At the end of 2008, the GCC formally announced it was suspending the trade talks due to the EU’s insistence on political demands.

last update: May 2012
photo: European External Action Service - EEAS/CC BY-NC 2.0


MENAFN | 26-Aug-2020
The European Union’s Trade Commissioner called for the resumption of the stalled EU-GCC Free Trade Agreement negotiations.
The National | 19-Feb-2019
EU commissioner Phil Hogan met UAE ministers to discuss the reopening free trade negotiations with the Gulf states.
Gulf Times | 7-Feb-2017
Private sector leader Qatar Chamber is hoping that talks on a free trade agreement (FTA) between the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council would resume.
Le Figaro | 2-Feb-2017
L’Union européenne espère reprendre les discussions sur un accord de libre-échange avec les six monarchies du Golfe.
| 12-May-2015
A comprehensive Free Trade Agreement between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the top 10 trading partners, including the European Union, could result in substantial GDP increases says Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association.
The National | 1-Jul-2013
The GCC will not sign a new joint cooperation programme with the EU that involves sharing information on topics ranging from finance to climate change until both sides resolve differences over a trade agreement, the Kuwait News Agency quoted Ghanim Al Buainain, Bahrain’s minister of state for foreign affairs, as saying.