Egypt–European Union relations

European Union–Egypt relations
Map indicating locations of European Union and Egypt

European Union

Egypt

Egypt–European Union relations are the foreign relations between the country of Egypt and the European Union.[1]

Under the aegis of the Global Mediterranean Policy (GMP) launched in 1972, an agreement between the European Economic Community and Egypt was signed in January 1977.[2] The framework laid out by the 1995 Euro-Mediterranean Partnership paved the way for some modest advances in the EU–Egypt relations,[3] leading to a new association agreement signed on 25 June 2001 in the context of the Barcelona process, that entered into force in June 2004.[4] An EU–Egypt Action Plan also entered into force in 2007.[3]

The outbreak of the Arab Spring defied the traditional stability-driven policy conducted by the EU in the region, conveyed by the support to authoritarian rulers in office, including Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, eventually leading to a reassessment of the EU foreign policy in the region.[5]

Both sides share a common membership in the Union for the Mediterranean.

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, in Cairo, 18 November 2023

In 2023, the European Commission and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi negotiated the creation of a "strategic partnership" between the EU and Egypt.[6][7][8]

Chronology of relations with the EU

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Timeline
Date Event
25 June 2001 The EU and Egypt sign an Association Agreement[9]
June 2004 The Association Agreement enters into force[9]
March 2007 The European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan is adopted[9]
2016 The EU and Egypt initiated a dialogue on future Partnership Priorities in line with the revised European Neighbourhood Policy[9]

See also

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References

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Citations
  1. ^ Although there has been a large degree of integration between European Union member states, foreign relations is still a largely intergovernmental matter, with the 28 members controlling their own relations to a large degree.[citation needed] However, with the Union holding more weight as a single bloc, there are at times[vague] attempts to speak with one voice, notably on trade and energy matters. The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy personifies this role.
  2. ^ Zank 2010, p. 149.
  3. ^ a b Bordón 2019, p. 330.
  4. ^ Zank 2010, p. 152.
  5. ^ Abdel Ghafar & Jacobs 2019, pp. 1–2.
  6. ^ "EU: Egypt Support Risks Complicity in Abuses". Human Rights Watch. 19 December 2023.
  7. ^ "How the EU Supports Authoritarianism in Egypt". Carnegie Europe. 12 December 2023.
  8. ^ "EU Commission aims to sign strategic partnership with Egypt by February". Eunews. 23 January 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d "KEY MILESTONES EGYPT" (PDF). European Commission. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
Bibliography