Egypt–European Union relations

Bilateral relations

European Union–Egypt relations



European Union	Egypt

Egypt–European Union relations are the foreign relations between the country of Egypt and the European Union (EU).

History

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. The framework laid out by the 1995 Euro-Mediterranean Partnership paved the way for some modest advances in the EU–Egypt relations, 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. An EU–Egypt Action Plan also entered into force in 2007.

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.

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

In 2023, the European Commission and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi negotiated the creation of a "strategic partnership" between the EU and Egypt. An EU funding package of €1 billion was agreed in 2024, with the first instalment received by Egypt in January 2025.

Chronology of relations with the EU

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

References

Citations

Zank 2010, p. 149.
^ Bordón 2019, p. 330.
Zank 2010, p. 152.
Abdel Ghafar & Jacobs 2019, pp. 1–2.
"EU: Egypt Support Risks Complicity in Abuses". Human Rights Watch. 19 December 2023.
"How the EU Supports Authoritarianism in Egypt". Carnegie Europe. 12 December 2023.
"EU Commission aims to sign strategic partnership with Egypt by February". Eunews. 23 January 2024.
Egypt, Daily News (2025-01-01). "Egypt receives first €1bn EU funding instalment". Dailynewsegypt. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
^ "KEY MILESTONES EGYPT" (PDF). European Commission. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2020.

Bibliography

Abdel Ghafar, Adel; Jacobs, Anna (2019). "EU–North Africa Relations in an Age of Turbulence". In Abdel Ghafar, Adel (ed.). The European Union and North Africa: Prospects and Challenges. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press. ISBN 9780815736967.
Bordón, Javier (2019). "The European Union and the Egyptian Neighbour: assessing the characterization of resilience as an external action priority" (PDF). Paix et Sécurité Internationales (7). Paix et sécurité internationales: Journal of International Law and International Relations: 323–348. ISSN 2341-0868.
Zank, Wolfang (2010). "Cooperation or Silent Rivalry? The EU and the USA in the Mediterranean – The Case of Egypt" (PDF). Perspectives on Federalism. 2 (3). ISSN 2036-5438.

Foreign relations of the European Union

Bilateral relations

See also: Economic relationships with third countries
Africa	Algeria Cape Verde Egypt Libya Morocco South Africa Sudan Tunisia
Americas	Argentina trade Brazil Canada Colombia Cuba Greenland Mexico Peru United States Uruguay
Asia	Bahrain Bangladesh China India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Lebanon Malaysia Nepal North Korea Pakistan Palestine† Philippines South Korea Syria Taiwan Vietnam Yemen
Europe	Albania Andorra Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Bosnia and Herzegovina Faroe Islands Georgia Accession negotiations Iceland Kosovo† Liechtenstein Moldova Accession negotiations Monaco Montenegro North Macedonia Northern Cyprus† Norway Russia San Marino Serbia Sovereign Military Order of Malta Switzerland Turkey Accession negotiations Ukraine Accession negotiations United Kingdom Vatican City
Oceania	Australia Micronesia New Zealand Papua New Guinea
Former	Yugoslavia
General	Overseas territories of member states European microstates Largest trading partners Association Agreements Free trade agreements European Union Sanctions
†= Disputed state, may not be recognised as an independent state by some or all European Union members.

Multilateral relations and initiatives

Organisations

Initiatives

Administration and policies

Foreign and Security Policy	Global Strategy Neighbourhood Policy Enlargement Security and Defence Policy
Administration	Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development External Action Service Foreign Affairs Council High Representative Josep Borrell Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee Foreign Policy Instruments Service Diplomatic missions of the EU (ambassadors) / to the EU Special Representatives
Funding	Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance Global Europe

Common Security and Defence Policy of the European Union

Leadership

Structure

External Action Service	Command structure on the civilian/military strategic and operational levels (Military Planning and Conduct Capability within the Military Staff, Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability, Joint Support Coordination Cell) Intelligence and Situation Centre (Club de Berne) Crisis Management and Planning Directorate Security & Defence College
Agencies	Defence Agency Institute for Security Studies Satellite Centre
Council preparatory bodies	Committee of Permanent Representatives Political and Security Committee Politico-Military Group Military Committee Committee for Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management
European Commission bodies	Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space
Funding	Defence Fund

Policies

Equipment

Galileo navigation system
Secure Software-defined Radio (PESCO)

Decorations

Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO)
Headline Goal 2010
Military Erasmus
Military Mobility (PESCO)
Intelligence School (PESCO)
Kortenberg building
NATO relations (Berlin Plus agreement, Joint Declaration)

Foreign relations of Egypt

Bilateral relations

Africa

Americas

Asia

Europe

EU	Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Denmark France Germany Greece Italy Poland Slovenia Spain

Oceania

Australia

New Zealand

Former

Yugoslavia

Multilateral relations
African Union Arab League (1964, 1964, 1970) ASPA European Union Union for the Mediterranean Non-Aligned Movement (2nd Summit)

Disputes
Arab–Israeli conflict

Related topics
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister Diplomatic missions of / in Egypt Egyptian diaspora Egyptian diplomats EFTCA

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