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COUNTRY PROFILES
tunisia
Tunisia – background information
General Information on Tunisia
Tunisian economy is dominated by agriculture
and mining. Foreign trade also plays an important role to
the economy. Exports amounted to 44% of GDP and imports to
about 48% of GDP in 2000 and foreign demand generates about
half of the economy’s enlargement. The GDP growth in 1990-2000
averaged 4,6% and in fact in 1999 was 6,1%. The investment
level has risen at over 9% per annum during 1990-2000 and
the exports at 6% in the same period. 80% of Tunisian exports
go to the EU, with the EU providing 71% of Tunisia’s imports.
The Euro-Med Association Agreement between the European Community
and its Member States, on the one part, and the Tunisian Republic,
on the other, came into force on March 1, 1998. Under the
term of the Agreement, the EU and Tunisia commit themselves
to creating a free trade area between themselves by the year
2010. The Agreement also includes the following areas: strengthened
political dialogue, economic co-operation, social and cultural
co-operation, and financial co-operation.
From the time the MEDA programme came into force until 1999,
the EU financed co-operation programmes and projects worth
428 million euro. The assistance was directed to economic
reforms, private sector development, rural development, natural
resources management, environmental protection, human rights
and democracy. MEDA II financial co-operation strategy is
based on the free trade area development and putting into
place internal market mechanisms. [1,9,11]
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