Evaluation of the EuroMediterranean Association Agreements

The EU’s EuroMediterranean Association Agreements aim to strengthen economic integration and support sustainable development across the Southern Neighbourhood.

To assess how these agreements are functioning in practice, the European Commission (DG TRADE) commissioned Ecorys to carry out an extensive evaluation of the trade chapters with Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia.

The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance and coherence of the agreements, and to assess their economic, social, human rights and environmental impacts. The evaluation reviewed the implementation of the agreements and analysed how trade liberalisation has influenced bilateral trade flows, sectorspecific developments, and broader economic outcomes. Four sectors—agriculture, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, and textiles and clothing—were examined in more depth through case studies.

The approach combined legal and policy analysis with comprehensive data collection, CGE and partialequilibrium modelling, and wideranging stakeholder engagement, including workshops, surveys, and interviews across the six countries. The evaluation also explored impacts on employment, income, labour conditions, gender equality and the right to food, as well as environmental aspects such as air pollution, energy use, natural resources, waste, and the greening of trade.

The findings provide a detailed evidence base to inform the EU’s future trade relations with partner countries in the region and to support more effective and sustainable outcomes under the Association Agreements.

The project ran from December 2018 to June 2021.
For more information, please contact Tahmina.Shafique@ecorys.com

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