The trade and investment environment in Tunisia and notably the economic situation in the country, access to the European market and the progress made in negotiations on the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) were the focus of a dinner-debate organised recently by the Mixed Chambers Council (CCM) in Tunisia.
The debate was held on the occasion of the visit of a delegation of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) on October 7-8 in Tunis, led by its President Bernd Lange.
The delegation is made up of European MPs and political advisers representing different countries. The meeting was also attended by representatives of mixed chambers members of the CCM, the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA), the Confederation of Tunisian Citizen Enterprises (CONECT), the Arab Institute of Business Leaders (IACE) and the Centre of Young Business Leaders (CJD) Tunisia.
Lange stated that this visit offered him the occasion to meet the public and private sectors to identify collaboration opportunities with Tunisia and to assess the progress of the DCFTA negotiations.
Taking the floor, President of the Tunisian-Italian Chamber of Commerce Mourad Fradi pointed out the importance to reach agreements as part of the DCFTA to support the agriculture sector as regards several aspects, including the social. The upgrading of this sector “is an important precondition to the signing of DCFTA-related agreements.”
Fradi added that “it was essential before launching this upgrading programme to conduct a thorough study for the reform of our agriculture and set up a prospective policy to help Tunisia change from a food policy to an agricultural one.”
CCM President Mehdi Ben Abdallah affirmed at the end of the meeting, that the CCM Tunisia is willing to become the important partner of the European Parliament, the European Union and the Tunisian government in order to support the development of Tunisian-European relations as well as the DCFTA agreement.
The UTICA, CONECT, IACE and CJD representatives all presented during their addresses their perceptions and visions of the development of Tunisian-European relations.
