The European Union and Tunisia

Since November 2012, Tunisia has enjoyed the status of a Privileged Partner of the European Union, supporting the country's democratic transition, launched in January 2011, as well as its ongoing programme of essential reforms.

This enhanced framework has translated into closer political cooperation across a wide range of areas, including good governance, education, vocational training and research, as well as security and stability.

It notably includes:

• Strengthening high-level political dialogue.
• Cooperation on security-related issues.
• Parliamentary cooperation.
• Cooperation in the fields of culture, education, vocational training and research, including Tunisia's participation in the Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020 programmes.
• Cooperation on democracy and the rule of law, as well as gender equality, human rights and fundamental freedoms.
• The implementation of programmes aimed at preserving Tunisia's cultural heritage and protecting the environment.
• The establishment of a diplomatic exchange programme between Tunisia and the European Union.

Trade relations between the European Union and Tunisia date back to 1969, when the first EEC–Tunisia Trade Agreement was signed. The EU–Tunisia Association Agreement was signed in 1995 and entered into force in 1998. It liberalised bilateral trade in industrial goods and provided preferential access for agreed quotas of agricultural products. Since then, additional protocols covering areas such as agriculture and rules of origin have been negotiated and incorporated into the Agreement.

Thanks to duty-free access to the European market, Tunisia’s exports to the EU increased fourfold between 1995 and 2024. Over the same period, EU exports to Tunisia grew by a factor of 2.7. Today, bilateral trade between Tunisia and the EU remains broadly balanced, with Tunisia recording a trade surplus of €1.8 billion in 2024.

The guaranteed access to the European market provided by the Association Agreement has also strengthened Tunisia’s attractiveness as a destination for foreign direct investment. European foreign direct investment in Tunisia has continued to grow, reaching a record stock of €5.65 billion in 2024. Today, around 3,400 European companies operate in Tunisia, providing approximately 409,000 direct jobs.

Unlike more recent trade agreements concluded by either the European Union or Tunisia, the Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreements do not cover several key areas of modern economic relations, including trade in services, investment, competition policy, intellectual property rights, and digital trade. The European Commission has therefore expressed its readiness to modernise its trade and investment relations with Southern Neighbourhood partners that seek closer economic integration with the European Union.

Through its trade- and private sector-support programmes, the European Union contributes to the development of bilateral trade, enhances the business environment, and strengthens the competitiveness of Tunisian enterprises.

Within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy, the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) embodies the EU’s solidarity and financial cooperation with its neighbouring countries. This financial instrument provides the main source of funding for EU assistance and supports Tunisia’s political, economic and social reforms.

The Single Support Framework 2017–2020 sets out the main priorities of European Union cooperation in Tunisia:

• Promoting good governance and the rule of law.
• Investing in the future by fostering sustainable and job-creating economic growth.
• Strengthening social cohesion across generations and regions.

Support for civil society is included across these three areas of intervention, with the aim of ensuring its participation in the design and implementation of public policies.

With €1.2 billion allocated between 2017 and 2020, the European Union strengthened its financial support to Tunisia in order to accompany the consolidation of its democratic transition and the recovery of its economy.

Tunisia is among the beneficiary countries of the COVAX Facility, an initiative implemented by GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance. The European Union and its Member States have committed to making COVID-19 vaccines a global public good and have already contributed €2 billion to the COVAX Facility. These contributions are essential to enable GAVI to secure commitments with vaccine manufacturers and suppliers.

Through COVAX, free vaccine doses are being provided to 92 low- and middle-income countries, including Tunisia. It is estimated that COVAX will enable Tunisia to vaccinate 20% of its population.

Tunisia was among the first countries to receive COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX initiative. A fourth vaccine delivery has recently arrived, consisting of 253,890 doses of Pfizer vaccines, in addition to the 93,600 doses of the same vaccine previously received and the 256,800 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines delivered earlier. This brings the total number of vaccine doses delivered to Tunisia through COVAX to 604,290 doses.

As part of its global commitment, the European Union has supported the rapid development and production of several COVID-19 vaccines, with a total contribution of €2.7 billion.