Head of the European Union Delegation to Egypt Ambassador Ivan Surkos said that Egypt will cut the tariff on cars imported from the EU to reach zero percent starting from January 2019, in accordance with an approved schedule of Egypt-EU partnership agreement.

In statements on Thursday, he added that this was officially announced during a meeting of the Egyptian-European partnership committee.

The ambassador added that the relations between Egypt and the EU are expanded in all important fields of sustainable economic and social development and stability in Egypt.

The meeting also assessed the development in implementing the outcome of the meeting that was held in 2017, he said.

The ambassador pointed out that the meeting also tackled human rights and Egypt’s aspirations to achieve a modern and democratic state. 

Egypt and the 15 European Union Member States signed a partnership agreement on June 25, 2001, in Brussels to gradually establish a free trade area over a transitional period not to exceed 12 years from the entry into force of the agreement.

Egypt-EU Association Agreement entered into force on January 1, 2004.

According to the agreement, customs duties were reduced by 10% annually starting six years after the entry into force of the Agreement, or January 2010, with duties completely

eliminated within 16 years after entry into force of this agreement.