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AGRICULTURE, TRADE, AND POVERTY IN TUNISIA 113


Provisions for agricultural trade under the agreement offer members the opportunity to suspend tariff reductions on some products during peak har- vest seasons. In this regard, each member is allowed to submit a list of 10 products for suspension, with a total exemption of all these products for 45 months.


The FTA with the European Free Trade Association The member states of the European Free Trade Association—Iceland, Lich- tenstein, Norway, and Switzerland—signed an FTA with Tunisia in Geneva on December 17, 2004. Negotiations on the European Free Trade Association– Tunisia Free Trade Agreement were launched in Tunis in October 1996 and were concluded in 2004 after six rounds of negotiations. The agreement cov- ers trade in industrial goods, as well as processed agricultural products. The agreement takes into consideration the different levels of economic development of the members of the European Free Trade Association on the one hand and Tunisia on the other by providing for asymmetric tariff reduc- tion. The states of the association will eliminate duties and other restrictions for covered products upon entry into force of the agreement, while Tunisia will gradually abolish its duties during a transition period. The agreement contains rules of origin on the model of the Euro-Mediterranean accumula- tion system. Trade in basic agricultural products is covered by arrangements concluded bilaterally between each association state and Tunisia.


The FTA with Turkey


The association agreement establishing a free trade area between Tunisia and Turkey was signed on November 25, 2004. The agreement covers provi- sions on preferential trade, state monopolies, competition and state aid, intellectual property rights, public procurement, and economic and technical cooperation. With this agreement Tunisia and Turkey aimed at strengthen- ing their cooperation, removing trade barriers, including agricultural trade, establishing appropriate conditions for competition, and promoting bilateral investments. A free trade area will be created within nine years following the entry into force of the agreement.


Protocol II of the agreement establishes a preferential trade regime that will be applied to agricultural trade. Concessions are exchanged for a given number of agricultural, fishing, and processed agricultural products on the basis of tariff quotas. This agreement entered into effect in June 2005.


Poverty


Tunisia has made significant progress in reducing poverty (Figure 5.1). The incidence of poverty (defined using the national poverty line) was cut from


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