WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/REG104/R/B/1
G/L/372
2 May 2000
(00-1759)
Original:  French
COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE
EUROPEAN COMMUNITY AND SYRIA
Biennial Report on the Operation of the Agreement
Communication from the European Community
The report below presents the information rece ived from the Permanent Delegation of the
European Commission, dated 21 March 2000.  It is organized in accordance with the standard format
(WT/REG/W/6).
I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE AGREEMENT
1. Membership and dates of signature, ratification and entry into force
The Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and Syria was signed on
18 January 1977.  Since then, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland and Sweden have become
parties to the Agreement, following their accession to the European Communities.
2. Type of agreement
The Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and Syria covers three main
areas:  trade, social affairs, and economic and financial cooperation.
In May 1998, negotiations began on a Euro-Mediterranean association agreement between
Syria and the European Union (EU) with a view to reinforcing existing links by establishing a
balanced partnership.
The new Association Agreement covers a number of areas, essentially involving political
dialogue, the gradual creation of a free-trade area, economic and financial cooperation and
cooperation in social and cultural affairs.
4. Trade data
The development of trade between the parties and the relevant trade statistics, including those
for the rest of the world, appear in annex.
II. TRADE PROVISIONS
1. Import restrictions, and
2. Export restrictions
The trade provisions of the 1977 Cooperati on Agreement, according to which industrial
products (other than those listed in Annex II to the Treaty establishing the EEC) originating in Syria
may be imported into the community without quantitative restrictions or measures having anWT/REG104/R/B/1
G/L/372
Page 2
equivalent effect and with exemption from customs duties or charges having an equivalent effect,
remain unchanged.
The transitional measures provided for in th e additional protocols signed in 1987 following
the accession of Spain and Portugal to the European Communities and relating to imports into those
two countries of industrial and agricultural products from Syria have now expired.
3. Rules of origin
4. Standards
5. Safeguards
6. Anti-dumping and countervailing measures, and
7. Subsidies and State aid
The Cooperation Agreement does not contain provisions relating to standards or State aid.
With regard to trade defence instruments and rules of origin, the provisions of the Agreement remain
unchanged.
8. Sector-specific provisions
The Cooperation Agreement contains preferential measures pertaining to the agricultural
sector (including a duty-free access quota for the EC market and lowering of customs duties).  The
provisions of the Agreement concerning agriculture remain unchanged.
IV. OTHER
Financial aspects
From 1977 to 1996, Syria benefited from four five-yearly financial protocols providing for
grants financed from the EC budget and EIB loans.
Services and intellectual property
The Cooperation Agreement does not cover either services or intellectual property, and no
specific agreement has since been signed in these areas.
Areas related or complementary to trade liberalization
The Cooperation Agreement does not contain provisions in these areas.  No specific
agreement has since been signed concerning the harmonization of legislation or the creation ofcommon regulatory structures or disciplines.WT/REG104/R/B/1
G/L/372
Page 3ANNEX1
Table 1 – EU Imports from the World and Syria 1980 - 1998
(Millions of ECU)
SITC: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 TOTAL
1980 (EU 9)
      World 23,908 1,929 27,501 85,384 1,579 11,374 37,648 37,853 22,176 20,502 269,853
      Syria 3 0 34 879 0 0 5 2 3 2 927
1984 (EU 10)
      World 33,643 2,810 36,139 107,594 2,803 19,968 48,969 71,432 34,537 24,205 382,100
      Syria 5 0 179 831 - 0 4 8 1 4 1,033
1988 (EU 12)
      World 32,221 2,152 35,752 47,393 1,499 25,067 59,078 106,689 49,968 27,937 387,757
      Syria 1 0 47 316 - 1 7 44 2 3 421
1992 (EU 12)
      World 34,580 3,215 32,218 65,183 1,748 33,888 69,355 146,277 76,771 23,900 487,135
      Syria 5 0 94 1,335 0 0 11 25 37 3 1,511
1996 (EU 15)
      World 41,305 3,599 34,829 75,910 2,423 44,328 75,479 189,056 93,962 20,131 581,065
      Syria 16 0 123 1,753 11 0 32 10 76 2 2,025
1997 (EU 15)
      World 44,248 4,072 40,131 85,155 2,554 51,485 87,685 229,346 108,779 17,690 672,413
      Syria 11 0 172 1,696 0 1 50 5 84 2 2,027
1998 (EU 15)
      World 45,198 4,458 39,370 64,843 2,891 55,290 94,672 264,153 116,092 22,676 709,643
      Syria 8 0 154 1,154 0 1 50 9 89 3 1,470
                                                     
1 Source for all tables: Eurostat (COMEXT).WT/REG104/R/B/1
G/L/372
Page 4 Table 2 – EU Exports to the World and Syria 1980  - 1998
(Millions of ECU)
S I T C : 0 123 4 56789 T O T A L
1980 (EU 9)
      World 13,662 3,422 4,327 10,071 717 23,228 46, 455 84,154 21,333 13,716 221,084
      Syria 186 3 17 125 8 131 247 427 59 42 1,245
1984 (EU 10)
      World 21,120 5,784 7,319 18,087 1,343 38,465 65,412 129,088 39,835 24,806 351,259
      Syria 214 4 18 33 14 216 248 411 65 46 1,268
1988 (EU 12)
      World 19,588 6,205 7,602 8,232 1,158 44,449 65, 673 141,249 48,507 20,256 362,917
      Syria 145 2 11 10 7 88 148 190 33 24 659
1992 (EU 12)
      World 24,887 8,778 8,068 10,552 1,491 54,200 71,091 180,838 59,247 16,939 436,091
      Syria 171 4 15 32 4 155 201 397 50 24 1,053
1996 (EU 15)
      World 30,646 10,339 11,414 15,431 1,998 79,14 4 102,957 283,081 79,287 12,695 627,011
      Syria 143 3 20 41 7 220 263 598 71 15 1,402
1997 (EU 15)
      World 33,504 12,374 13,084 17,109 2,575 93,04 6 114,927 331,113 88,686 13,717 721,109
      Syria 177 2 33 55 7 224 273 475 69 7 1,353
1998 (EU 15)
      World 31,772 12,005 11,554 13,833 2,831 95,88 5 112,815 343,435 89,424 16,869 730,423
      Syria 195 5 21 37 5 257 273 614 70 26 1,527WT/REG104/R/B/1
G/L/372
Page 5Table 3 – EU Trade with Syria by HS Section
(Millions of ECU)
EXPORTS IMPORTS
SECTION 1988 1992 1996 1997 1998 SECTION 1988 1992 1996 1997 1998
TOTAL 659 1,053 1,402 1,353 1,527 TOTAL 421 1,511 2,025 2,027 1,470
I 12 23 23 27 20 I 10 14 15 12 13
I I 7 07 9 92 21 7 I I 2 8 1 81 21 0
III 7 6 6 6 4 III - 0 11 0 0
IV 69 79 118 137 174 IV 0 0 2 1 3
V 13 34 42 58 39 V 328 1,348 1,765 1,719 1,179
VI 67 121 159 170 202 VI 1 0 0 1 1
V I I 2 75 3 8 77 78 3 V I I 0 0 0 1 1
VIII 0 1 1 1 1 VIII 8 13 31 33 21
IX 8 4 8 13 5 IX 0 0 0 0 0
X 1 12 3 4 24 64 7 X 0 0 0 0 0
XI 32 47 64 75 75 XI 23 95 160 230 219
XII 0 0 0 1 1 XII 0 0 1 1 0
XIII 17 11 17 18 16 XIII 0 0 0 0 1
XIV 1 1 2 1 2 XIV 0 0 1 0 1
XV 84 120 139 140 147 XV 0 0 4 1 4
XVI 119 288 530 412 498 XVI 2 6 3 5 8
XVII 71 107 67 59 114 XVII 41 19 6 1 1
XVIII 12 25 36 41 37 XVIII 0 1 2 1 3
XIX 0 0 0 0 0 XIX - - 0 0 -
XX 14 6 14 9 10 XX 0 0 0 1 0
XXI 6 3 7 6 11 XXI 2 2 2 3 3WT/REG104/R/B/1
G/L/372
Page 6Table 4 – EU Trade with the World by HS Section
(Millions of ECU)
EXPORTS IMPORTS
SECTION 1988 1992 1996 1997 1998 SECTION 1988 1992 1996 1997 1998
TOTAL 362,917 436,091 627,011 721,109 730,423 TOTAL 387,757 487,135 581,065 672,413 709,643
I 7,060 8,001 9,980 10,897 10,062 I 8, 349 10,300 10,897 12,227 13,296
II 6,372 8,511 8,819 9,757 9,145 II 17,55 5 17,353 23,130 25,437 24,992
III 1,341 1,673 2,286 2,977 3,156 III 1,542 1,781 2,250 2,390 2,693
IV 13,817 19,194 24,510 27,744 27,279 I V 13,638 15,595 18,511 19,019 19,518
V 9,723 12,152 17,487 19,630 16,711 V 55,920 73,081 84,793 95,737 75,508
VI 37,393 46,951 68,968 81,772 85,215 V I 22,179 29,303 39,774 46,234 49,432
VII 15,521 16,914 23,128 27,148 27,504 V II 10,125 13,862 17,132 19,323 21,043
VIII 4,119 4,084 7,159 7,375 6,435 VIII 6,121 5,701 7,590 8,498 8,224
IX 1,771 2,035 4,045 4,927 5,182 IX 9, 615 10,926 9,118 10,973 11,434
X 7,937 10,271 18,033 19,764 19,803 X 17,605 19,227 11,110 11,996 12,571
XI 20,244 25,208 31,611 34,724 35,221 X I 28,639 39,478 47,467 55,248 57,903
XII 3,440 4,526 5,922 6,313 6,043 XII 3,325 5,451 7,029 8,308 8,274
XIII 7,153 8,120 11,257 12,916 12, 894 XIII 2,593 3,883 4,386 5,090 5,648
XIV 13,026 12,425 16,992 19,285 17,990 X IV 17,526 15,037 21,620 23,890 26,981
XV 30,826 30,864 42,214 46,944 45,623 X V 26,101 29,345 33,661 40,312 44,472
XVI 93,666 120,842 193,730 226,482 234,539 XVI 81,389 106,397 146,298 173,122 195,378
XVII 46,674 59,351 89,086 104,705 110,049 XVII 25,240 40,386 42,797 56,275 68,476
XVIII 14,107 17,067 23,982 28,129 29,109 XVIII 14,869 19,652 24,343 27,814 29,926
XIX 402 388 1,097 1,326 1,656 XIX 118 194 466 603 510
XX 7,819 9,378 13,350 15,177 15,242 XX 6 ,655 12,072 14,394 17,529 19,046
XXI 8,204 5,727 13,354 13,115 11,565 XXI 5,733 5,511 14,298 12,387 14,318
__________