Algeria is an important partner in the fields of energy, economy and trade, as well as regional security. Since the signing of the Association Agreement in 2002, the EU has become Algeria's main trading partner and a key interlocutor in a wide range of areas. The potential for further economic cooperation is immense, including for European investments in the country.

The EU and Algeria have also developed a permanent and structured energy cooperation that, in the context of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, has become of paramount importance. Since 2015, the EU-Algeria strategic partnership in the field of energy seeks to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency, which will help the partners to fulfil their commitments under the Paris agreement on climate change.

Both the EU and Algeria strongly support multilateralism. EU-Algeria relations have increasingly widened, particularly in the area of security and counter-terrorism, migration and, more, recently judicial cooperation. 
 

Europe and Egypt have a long-standing relationship, bound by history and geography. The EU is firmly committed to work together with Egypt on building and implementing a positive agenda for shared prosperity and stability. The Association Agreement between the EU and Egypt, which entered into force in June 2004, forms the legal basis for EU-Egypt relations.

With the agreement on a Joint Declaration by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on 17 March 2024, the EU-Egypt relationship has been elevated to the level of a Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership. This partnership covers six pillars: 

1. Political Relations
2. Economic Stability
3. Trade and Investment
4. Migration and Mobility
5. Security
6. Demography and Human Capital

To underpin this partnership, the EU is working on a €7.4 billion financial package for 2024-2027:
 

• €5 billion Macro-Financial Assistance consisting of concessional loans.
• €1.8 billion of additional investments, under the Southern Neighbourhood
• Economic and Investment Plan (EFSD+ instrument covering blended finance and guarantees).
• €600 million in bilateral grants, including EUR 200 million for migration.

The EU remains committed to supporting Libya's path towards lasting peace, prosperity and stability. Through diplomatic engagement and bilateral support, the EU seeks to assist the country and its people to resume the transition to democracy. As part of this political commitment, the EU fully supports the mediation efforts undertaken by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).

EU assistance to Libya is primarily funded through the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI-GE) for the period 2021 to 2027. Our cooperation aims at supporting Libya in crucial areas, based on mutual interests and prior consultations with local interlocutors. These sectors include: good governance and rule of law, economy diversification and renewable energy and green transition.  

The EU remains also committed to strengthened dialogue and cooperation with all relevant Libyan authorities in order to set-up a comprehensive and rights-based migration governance and border management.

In the framework of the 1996 Association Agreement between the EU and Morocco , both sides cooperate across a broad range of areas, including trade, climate action, justice and security, mobility and migration, and good governance. The 2019 Joint Political Declaration by the EU and Morocco highlighted the shared values between the two partners, and their common multi-faceted ambitions through an eight-pillar vision in terms of economic and human, inclusive and fair development; innovation and sharing of knowledge; protection of the environment and sustainable development; justice; security; intercultural dialogue; mobility and migration; human rights and good governance.

The EU is Morocco’s main trading partner, as well as the biggest foreign investor in the country, accounting for more than half of the country’s foreign direct investment. Conversely, the EU’s trade with Morocco is its most important among the countries of the Southern Neighbourhood. Morocco is also a crucial regional ally to fight against climate change and build a greener and cleaner economy.. In 2022, the EU and Morocco signed a comprehensive Green Partnership, the first agreement signed by the EU with a third partner in the context of the EU Green Deal. 

In 2021, the EU launched the Economic and Investment Plan to support human development, strengthen resilience, build prosperity, and increase trade and investments in the region. More than €1.1 billion has been committed so far, with expected mobilised investments amounting to about €5.4 billion. Following the disastrous earthquake that hit the Marrakech region in September 2023, the EU committed to finance, together with the European Investment Bank (EIB), Morocco’s post-earthquake reconstruction program for a loan sum of 1 billion over 5 years. In addition to this, the European Commission provided a financial assistance package amounting to €225 million to support the reconstruction and comprehensive upgrade of the disaster areas.

Tunisia was the first partner in the EU’s Southern Neighbourhood to sign and implement an Association Agreement with the EU. The Association Agreement was signed in 1995 and entered into force in 1998, notably establishing a Free-Trade Area.

The Association Agreement established a privileged framework for the development of dialogue and cooperation between Tunisia and the EU on a wide range of topics. This partnership is based on shared objectives to address common challenges, create the conditions for a prosperous and stable Tunisia and enhance shared prosperity between the two shores of the Mediterranean. Tunisia is one of the largest recipients of EU funds in the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy: the EU has provided €600 million in bilateral financial assistance since 2021.

Bilateral discussions aim to strengthen Tunisia’s capacity to foster an inclusive and stable growth.  In July 2023, the EU and Tunisia signed a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic and Global Partnership aimed at deepening the EU-Tunisia partnership, the first of its kind in the Southern Neighbourhood. It aims at strengthening the bilateral cooperation over five priority axes: macro-economic stability, economy and trade, green energy transition, people-to-people contacts, and migration and mobility.

Considering the important developments in the political, economic and migration fronts in 2023/2024, Tunisia has been at the forefront of EU’s political priorities and concentrated much attention from Member States and the European Parliament, especially before and after the MoU adoption.

Aside from the economic aspect, bilateral cooperation promotes cultural exchanges and mobility programmes, according to the Mobility Partnership signed in 2014, and together with the support for safe and legal migratory schemes.

The EU places great importance on promoting the role of civil society in creating an inclusive and open local political landscape. In the Southern Neighbourhood, support to NGOs has increased and consultation fora have been established to promote a more structured dialogue between the EU and civil society organisations.

To implement its commitment, in 2013 the EU promoted the creation of the Civil Society Facility for the Mediterranean (CSFM). Revitalized in 2023 to deepen the EU’s engagement, the CSFM provides a structure for open and sustained dialogue between local civil society, the authorities, and the EU. Given the rich cultural and socio-political landscape in North Africa, CSFM reaches out to a wide net across the Southern Neighbourhood. The CSFM trainings and working groups aim to create entry points for local civil society to influence and tailor EU programmes in the region. 

For each country, the discussion revolves around the main themes of their national Mediterranean Partnership.