The Mission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Algeria to the EU informs that the terms of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement between the European Communities and Algeria apply to Croatia as well.
The Euro-Mediterranean Agreement was signed 22 April 2002 and came into effect 1 September 2005. It regulates the area of free trade in goods and services, and contains provisions on the origin of goods, cooperation in customs matters, as well as promotion and protection of investments.
Croatia’s EU membership and the article 108 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement should have allowed for its free application to Croatia as well. However, it was only after the intense activities and cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and working bodies of the European Commission that the Algerian side on 298 April this year agreed for the terms of the Agreement to apply to Croatia as well. This decision ensures the use of preferential customs fees for Croatian products on the Algerian market and improves the competitiveness of Croatian business people there.
In order to take into account Croatia’s EU accession, the European Commission will append a protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement, which will contain additional regulations regarding further liberalization of trade for agricultural and food products and regulations on the origin of goods.