The European Commission sees a possible breach of the EU-Algeria Association Agreement in freezing relations with Spain. The announcement was made after Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares left for Brussels on Friday to meet at 14:00 with the European Commission Vice-President in charge of EU trade policy, Valdis Dombrovskis.
“The decision by Algeria to suspend the Friendship and Good Neighborly Agreement with Spain, signed in 2002, is a matter of great concern,” said Dombrowski and European Union Foreign Minister Josep Borrell in a statement. “Transactions between the two countries on the suspension of the instructions, which in principle appear to be in violation of the EU-Algeria Association Agreement, especially in the field of trade and investment.
Albares’s trip comes two days after Algeria froze relations with Spain in response to a change in Moncloa’s position on the Sahara, which could affect the EU’s internal market if it ends its impact on trade relations.
Algeria, in addition to being a gas supplier to Spain, has an association agreement with the EU, which could have an impact on the extent to which it achieves the freezing of relations declared by Algeria.
“The decision taken by Algeria to suspend the Friendship and Neighborhood Agreement with Spain in 2002 is, of course, very disturbing to us,” EU Commissioner for Foreign Affairs Gabriel Masrali said on Thursday. “We ask Algeria. Reconsider this decision. Algeria is a very important partner of the European Union in the Mediterranean and is a key player in regional stability. We are analyzing the impact of this decision and the channels of dialogue and diplomatic channels, as Algeria is a very important partner for us, and we hope that they will reconsider this decision and work with Spain to find a solution to this disagreement.
“We are analyzing the scope of the Algerian statement” on the suspension of the friendship agreement with Spain, previously explained by Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares. “We want to analyze the national and European practical implications of this event in order to provide a calm, constructive and firm response in the interests of Spain and Spanish companies,” the Spanish diplomat said at the end of Wednesday. Speech at a seminar on NATO in Madrid, the summit of which will be hosted by Madrid in three weeks.
“Trade relations are between the EU and third countries,” said Eric Mammer, a spokesman for the public. “It defines the framework in which we operate. “And third countries that trade with the EU do not operate with individual countries.”
The European Commission’s trade spokeswoman, Miriam Garcia Ferrer, explained: “It’s too early at this stage because we have not seen the final details. We will have to analyze them from a commercial point of view as well. “Trade policy is the exclusive competence of the European Union, so we need to see exactly that.”
“But, I’m insisting,” Mamer insisted, “we’re facing a statement and I’m not aware of the fact that we have received any specific details from the Algerian authorities about what they mean in practice.”
Source: El Diario
