The Association Agreement between Lebanon and the EU, Which replaced the 1977 Cooperation Agreement, consists of three major components: political and security issues; economic and financial partnership; and patnership in social and human affairs.
The entry into force of the EU-Lebanon Interim Agreement on trade and commercial issues
on 1 March 2003 formally triggered the start of the 12 year transition period to free trade, one of the fundamental planks to the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership.
Ratification of the EU-Lebanon Association Agreement by all Member States took place on 14 February 2006. The Agreement will enter into force on April 1st 2006.
First to vote on the treaty was the Lebanese Parliament on 2 December 2002.
The European Parliament followed suite on 15 January 2003 with a vote in favour of the Agreement.