EU Agricultural Trade Preferences for North Africa and the Near East and the EU Import Regime for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

This paper focuses on EU agricultural trade policies which are especially relevant to North African and Near Eastern countries in the context of the Doha round in the WTO. First, the comprehensive agricultural trade preferences granted to them by the EU, which may be eroded in an environment of multilateral trade liberalization. And second, the specific features of the EU's import regime for fresh fruit and vegetables, especially the entry price system, and its likely adjustment at the close of the Doha round.Under the Euro-Mediterranean Agreements (EMA), preferences granted by the EU to the MCs (Mediterranean countries) are generally limited to typical Mediterranean products. In many cases tariff reductions are limited to certain calendar periods. Tariff reduction rates range from 5 to 100% and are in many cases limited by tariff rate quotas (TRQs). In addition to tariff preferences, significant reductions of entry prices for limited quantities were negotiated for oranges with Israel, Egypt, and Morocco; and for some other products with Morocco....