§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the scale of the benefits to Israel of its preferential terms of trade with the European Union. [160164]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienI have been asked to reply.
None.
Under the terms of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, goods originating in the State of Israel may be imported into the European Union at preferential rates of duty, including zero rates. Israeli exports to the UK were worth £911 million in 2002.
This agreement forms part of the broader relationship between the EU and 12 Mediterranean countries, known as the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. Through a series of Association Agreements, each country will gain access to the EU market on an equal and nondiscriminatory basis.