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Central America-European Union |
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Background and Negotiations |
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In 1993 the European Union and Central America signed a
Framework Cooperation Agreement. This agreement entered into force on 01 March 1999. At the
May 2002 EU-Latin American Summit the EU and six Central American countries -- Costa Rica,
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama -- agreed to negotiate a new Political
Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement, which was signed on 15 December 2003 in Rome.
The EU and Central American countries reiterated their goal of concluding an Association
Agreement including a free trade area, in the EU-Latin America Summit in May 2004 in Guadalajara,
Mexico, and in May 2005 at the EU-Central America Ministerial meeting in Luxembourg, at which
Ministers welcomed the launching of a joint assessment exercise on regional economic integration
and the setting up of an ad hoc joint working group in January 2005. The goal of concluding a
comprehensive Association Agreement was reaffirmed at the EU-Central America summit held in
Vienna, Austria in May 2006. The negotiations for the Association Agreement were launched on
28 June 2007 in Brussels. The first round took place in San Jose, Costa Rica on 22-26 October 2007.
On 25-29 February 2008, Central America and the EU concluded the second round of negotiations in
Brussels, Belgium. The third round of negotiations took place in El Salvador on 14 April 2008.
The fourth round was held in Brussels on 14-18 July 2008. On 06-10 October 2008, countries concluded
the fifth round of negotiations. The sixth round of negotiations took place in Brussels, Belgium on
26-30 January 2009.
On 06 April 2009, the EU issued a statement to inform about the temporary interruption of the
negotiations for an Association Agreement
between the EU and Central America. A few days later, on 24 April 2009, the EU and Central America
agreed to re-initiate negotiations for an agreement.
Trade negotiators from Central American countries and the European Union met on 03 February 2010
in an informal three-day meeting in which they agreed to a work schedule with a view to finalizing an
Association Agreement in May. The seventh round of negotiations was held in Brussels on 22-26 February
2010 with Panama as an Observer, officially announcing its intention to join the negotiations.
A month later, trade negotiators held a new round of technical discussions in Brussels. The negotiations
were concluded in May 2010, in the framework of the Latin America-Caribbean and European Union Summit
in Madrid, Spain. Central America and the European Union discussed how to move forward with the agreement
during the XVI Meeting of the Joint Commission that took place on 08 February 2011 in Brussels. On 22
March 2011, Central America and the European Union initialed the agreement after its legal review. On
25 October 2011, the European Commission reviewed and approved the agreement, fulfilling the first stage
of the signature process. In the next stage, the Council of the European Union, in turn, will review the
agreement and authorize its signature.
The European Union and Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua
and Panama) signed an association agreement on occasion of the Meeting of Presidents of the Central
American Integration System, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on 29 June 2012.
Documents relating to
the negotiations |
11
December
2012 |
European Parliament approves
Central America-European Union Association Agreement
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29 June
2012 |
Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
The
European Union and Central America sign
association agreement |
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Highlights of the Agreement between the
European Union and Central America |
25 October 2011 |
European Comission reviews and approves the Central
America-EU Association Agreement
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22
March 2011 |
Central America and EU initialed Association
Agreement
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08 February 2011 |
XVI Meeting of the Central America-EU Joint
Commission
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Minutes of the XVI Central America-EU Joint
Commission
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18 May 2010 |
Central America and European Union concluded
negotiations
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10 May 2010 |
Progress in negotiations between Central America
and European Union
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05 May 2010 |
Guatemala, Guatemala City. Negotiations between
Central America and European Union continue
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28 April 2010 |
Brussels, Belgium. Eighth round of negotiations
between Central America and European Union
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22-26
March 2010 |
Brussels, Belgium.
Trade negotiators held a new round of
technical discussions
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26 February 2010 |
Conclusion of the Economic
Association Agreement expected in May 2010 at the EU-ALC Summit in Madrid
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22-26 February 2010 |
Brussels, Belgium. Seventh
round of negotiations of an association agreement Central America-EU
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03
February 2010 |
The EU and Central America agreed on a work
program with the aim of finalizing an
Association Agreement in May |
24 April 2009 |
The EU and Central America agreed to re-initiate negotiations for an agreement
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06 April 2009 |
Statement on the interruption of the negotiations for an Association Agreement
between the EU and Central America
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26-30 January 2009 |
Brussels, Belgium.
Sixth round of negotiations of an association
agreement Central America-EU |
06-10 October 2008 |
Guatemala. Fifth round of negotiations
of an association agreement Central America-EU
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14-18 July 2008 |
Brussels, Belgium.
Fourth round of negotiations of an association
agreement Central America-EU |
16 April 2008 |
El Salvador. Third round of
negotiations of an association agreement Central America-EU
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29 February 2008 |
Brussels, Belgium.
Central America and the EU held second round
of negotiations of an association agreement
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II round of negotiations: Presentations
on sanitary and phitosanitary measures |
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EC legislation on food additives
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EC legal instruments to
ensure and to control the implementation of the EC legislation
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European Commission Health and Consumer
Protection Directorate General Unit E3 - Chemicals, contaminants and pesticides
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The Food and Veterinary Office
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Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on
microbiological criteria for foodstuffs
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Legislation on residues of pharmacologically
active substances
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Status of Central American Customs Union in the
area of sanitary and phitosanitary measures
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II round of negotiations: Presentations
on technical barriers to trade |
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The regulatory approach in the internal
market |
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Free Movement of Goods
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Functioning of Directive 98/34/EC
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The EU market surveillance
framework |
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Overview of the European institutional
framework on standardisation |
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The European standardisation.
An important pillar for the quality infrastructure
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26 October 2007 |
San Jose, Costa Rica. Central America
and the EU held first round of negotiations of an association agreement
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29 June 2007 |
Central America and the European Union start
negotiations for new association agreement.
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19 April 2007 |
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
San José Dialogue Ministerial Meeting Between the European Union Troika and
the Ministers of the Countries of Central America.
Joint communiqué
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13 May 2006 |
II EU-Central America Summit Joint
Communiqué |
2 March 2006 |
Nicaragua. XIV Central America-EU Joint
Commission meeting Act
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26 May 2005 |
XXI San José Dialogue
Ministerial meeting between the EU and Central America Joint Communiqué
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19 January 2005 |
Act, XIII Central America-EU Joint
Commission meeting
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28 May 2004 |
Guadalajara Declaration
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15 December 2003 |
Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement
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03 October 2003 |
XII Central America-EU Joint Commission
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22 February 1993 |
Framework Cooperation Agreement
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Sources: European Union,
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de El Salvador, Ministerio de Comercio de Costa Rica (COMEX),
Acuerdo de Asociación entre Centroamérica y la Unión Europea- Costa Rica.
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The 1993 Framework Agreement established a Joint Committee and a Sub-Committee for Cooperation
that meet regularly. In addition, an ad hoc Joint Working Group was established
to conduct a joint assessment of regional economic integration.
Documents relating to the ad hoc
working group |
7-8 November 2005 |
San Salvador, El Salvador. III
Meeting of the ad hoc Central America - EU working group
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19-20 July 2005 |
Brussels, Belgium. II Meeting of the ad hoc
Central America - EU working group
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30 March-01 April 2005 |
San José, Costa Rica. I Meeting of
the ad hoc Central America - EU working group
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Source: European Union;
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de El Salvador |
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Accession of New Members |
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Article 359 of the agreement provides for the accession of new members.
Croatia joined the European Union on 1 July 2013, and therefore, the parties of the agreement
are currently negotiationg its accession to the Central America-EU Association Agreement.
Documents relating the
accession of new members |
13 May 2014 |
Croatia's accession to the Central
America-EU Agreement advances
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Source: Ministerio de
Comercio de Costa Rica (COMEX) |
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Draft Text |
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Entry into Force |
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On 21 May and 01 July 2013, Costa Rica’s National Assembly
approved in first and second debates, respectively, the Central America-EU Association Agreement.
On 31 July 2013, the European Commission announced the provisional application of the EU Free Trade
Agreement with Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama starting on 01 August 2013.
The Association Agreement between Central America and the European Union entered into force on 01
October 2013 for Costa Rica and El Salvador. Two months later, on 01 December 2013, the agreement
entered into force for Guatemala.
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Implementation of the Agreement |
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Article 4 of the Agreement establishes an Association Council to
supervise the implementation of the Agreement. During the meeting of the Association Council held on
June 14, 2018, the parties agreed on the accession of Croatia to the Central America-EU Association
Agreement and achieved progress in negotiating issues of origin and amendments to the Harmonized System.
Documents relating to the
Association Council |
14 June 2018 |
Brussels, Belgium. Meeting of the Central
America-EU Association Council
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27 June 2014 |
San Pedro Sula, Honduras. First meeting of the
Central America-EU Association Council
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Source:
Ministerio de Comercio Exterior, Costa Rica (COMEX) |
The Association Agreement establishes an Association Committee and the trade part of the Agreement
foresees the creation of a number of sectoral subcommittees as well as a
Board on Trade and Sustainable Development,
which comprises high level authorities from within the administrations of each Party.
In accordance with the provisions of Article 8 of the Association Agreement, the Association Committee
met in Antigua, Guatemala on June 27, 2019. The Association Committee met again on November 26, 2020 virtually.
On June 29, 2023, the Association Committee of the Association Agreement between Central America and the European Union (AACUE) met in San Salvador to analyze the application of the commercial pillar of said Agreement.
The Board on Trade and Sustainable Development will meet within the first year after the date of entry
into force of the Agreement, and thereafter as necessary, to oversee the implementation of Title VIII
(Trade and Sustainable Development), including cooperative activities undertaken under Title VI (Economic
and Trade Development) of Part III of the Agreement. The decisions and recommendations of the Board will
be adopted by mutual agreement between the Parties and will be provided to the public, unless the Board
decides otherwise.
The first meeting of the Board on Trade and Sustainable Development of the Association Agreement
between Central America and the European Union was held in Managua, Nicaragua, from 18 to 19 November
2014.
Documents relating to the Board on Trade and Sustainable Development |
24-25 June 2019 |
Antigua, Guatemala.
Fifth meeting of the Board of Trade and Sustainable Development
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18-19 November 2014 |
Managua, Nicaragua. First meeting of Board on
Trade and Sustainable Development of the Association Agreement between Central America and the
European Union
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Sources:
European Commission; Ministerio de Comercio de Costa Rica (COMEX) |
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Related Articles and Studies |
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18 February 2022 |
10 years of the Association Agreement between the European Union and
Central America
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November 2015 |
Ministerio de Economía, Guatemala. Evaluación de las
Relaciones Comerciales entre Guatemal y la Unión Europea
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November 2014 |
Ministerio de Economía, Guatemala. Evaluación de
las Relaciones Comerciales entre Guatemal y la Unión Europea
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2013 |
Gobierno de El Salvador. Acuerdo de Asociación:
Ofreciendo Oportunidades para el Desarrollo. Documento explicativo del Acuerdo de Asociación
entre Centroamérica y la Unión Europea
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April 2005 |
Ministerio de Fomento, Industria y Comercio (MIFIC).
Informe de Relaciones Comerciales Nicaragua-Unión Europea Año 2003-2004
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December 2003 |
European Commission.
Central America Integration: What's Next? The
Integration Process in Central America and the Role of the European Union
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December 2003 |
Ministerio de Comercio de Costa Rica (COMEX). El
estado acutal de las relaciones comerciales con la Unión Europea
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Sources |
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Recent Developments |
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Contents |
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Related pages |
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