Algeria and the European Union on the brink of a trade war?
Algiers has described Brussels's opening of arbitration proceedings against its "trade restrictions" on European companies as "hasty" and "unilateral," which it deems to be contrary to the bilateral association agreement. The Algerian daily "Twala" returns to this highly political dispute, against a backdrop of Franco-Algerian tensions.
Relations between Algeria and the European Union (EU) are no longer at their best. They deteriorated after the EU announced the launch of an arbitration procedure regarding “trade and investment restrictions” imposed by Algeria on European companies, particularly French ones.
Algeria, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [MAE], expressed surprise at the European decision. Algeria reacted on Thursday, July 17, to the EU's decision, publicly announced the day before, to launch an arbitration procedure against the measures of "trade and investment restrictions."
The department of Ahmed Attaf [the head of Algerian diplomacy] sent a letter to the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Ms. Kaja Kallas.
In the MFA letter, Algeria deplored a “hasty and unilateral” decision by the EU, which decided to stop the consultations, which were underway, and to initiate an arbitration procedure. Algeria recalls in its letter that “only two consultation meetings were held over a short period of two months, and that six of the eight disputes raised by
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