RELATIONS WITH THE EU
The European Union and Libya
Relations between the EU and its immediate neighbours are governed by the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). Within this framework, the EU offers its neighbours a privileged relationship and enhanced cooperation in areas determined by jointly formulated priorities. With its ENP partners, the EU aims to strengthen prosperity, stability and security for all based on the shared values of democracy and human rights, rule of law, good governance, market economy principles and sustainable development. However, unlike most other countries of the region, Libya has not concluded an Association Agreement with the EU.
As Libya's transition progresses, EU assistance will increasingly shift focus to longer-term needs. In the longer term, the EU will seek to intensify the EU-Libya political relationship and financial and technical cooperation via the different instruments under the European Neighbourhood Policy.
Political Relations
The EU cooperates closely with the UN and is actively engaged in the UN-led Berlin Process for Libya aiming to restore peace and stability across the country.
The EU fully supports the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) and a Libyan-led political process. The EU is in constant dialogue with the UN and the Libyan Government of National Unity on how to best support the process towards general elections. The EU works with both the High National Elections Commission and the Central Committee for Municipal Council Elections (CCMCE) with the aim to help build institutional capacity to prepare and deliver credible elections.
Following the first Berlin Conference on Libya in January 2020, and in line with the commitments made by the Berlin participants, the EU adopted sanctions against spoilers of the political process, violators of human rights and international humanitarian law, and people traffickers. These commitments have been strengthened by the Berlin 2 conference in June 2021 and by the EU Council's decision to include the blocking of elections among the justifications for sanctions.
The EU implements sanctions adopted by the UN Security Council, including an arms embargo, asset freeze and a travel ban. In addition, the EU has adopted a regulation extending the arms embargo to also include any equipment that may be used for internal repression as well as goods with potential dual use.
As co-chair of the Economic Working Group of the Berlin Process, the EU is supporting the Libyans in developing a more sustainable and transparent way to manage oil revenues and to prioritise economic reforms urgently needed to address the dire economic situation in Libya.
Economic and commercial relations
Trade relations between the European Union and Libya have been marked by the country’s long-lasting crisis and instability. Alongside Syria, Libya is the only partner among the Southern Neighbourhood (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine*, Syria and Tunisia) not to have concluded a Free Trade Agreement with the EU. Trade relations between the European Union and Libya have so far taken place outside a bilateral legal framework governing bilateral relations.
The European Union is Libya’s biggest trading partner, accounting for 51% of the country's total trade in 2020.
Libya has an observer status in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. Euromed is one of the key initiatives of the European Neighbourhood Policy, through which the EU offers its neighbours a privileged relationship. Euromed is an essential component in the pursuit of greater economic integration in the Mediterranean region, including among Mediterranean partners themselves.
Libya is also not a WTO member. Negotiations for Libya's accession to the WTO started in 2004. The negotiation for the Framework Agreement on trade between the EU and Libya, which started in 2008, would have paved the way for Libyan WTO accession. However, negotiations were suspended in February 2011. Resumption of bilateral negotiations with Libya still remains an option.
* This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue.
Development cooperation & Humanitarian assistance
The EU is one of the largest providers of assistance in Libya. EU projects aim at strengthening civil society, human rights and free media, democratic governance, health services and COVID-19 response, entrepreneurship, youth empowerment, and gender equality. An important area of EU support to Libya remains migration management, support to Libyan communities that host a particularly high number of migrants as well as to refugees and migrants themselves, and the protection of vulnerable groups.
Overall, EU assistance for Libya reached about EUR 700 million over the last years.
Since 2011, the EU has also allocated EUR 75.3 million in humanitarian aid to respond to the most pressing needs in Libya. EU assistance focuses on the treatment of war-wounded and support to forcibly displaced populations, the host communities as well as migrants and refugees in conflict-affected areas. Protection of survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, education in emergencies, promotion of respect for international humanitarian law and human rights law as well as coordination/logistical support of the humanitarian response are other areas of EU support.
Cooperation on migration
The EU's main priority regarding migration is to protect migrants, refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) in Libya and to support local communities to cope with the challenge.
The EU's support to Libya with regards to migration focuses on programmes that facilitate access to basic services, support to host communities by providing employment opportunities for both the local population and for migrants, and assistance and protection to vulnerable migrants. It also aims at helping to improve conditions for migrants and refugees at disembarkation points and in detention centres, as well as assisting voluntary returns of stranded migrants to their countries of origin and support the evacuation of those in need of international protection
Two EU missions set up under the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) – EUBAM Libya and EUNAVFOR Med Operation Irini – have mandates with relevance to migration. The EU Border Assistance Mission in Libya (EUBAM) was launched in May 2013 as an integrated border management mission. After amendments, its current objective is to provide for a possible civilian capacity-building, assistance and crisis management mission in the field of security sector reform with a focus on police, criminal justice, border security and migration.
EUNAVFOR MED IRINI (Greek for "peace") was launched on 31 March 2020 with the core task of supporting the implementation of the UN arms embargo on Libya and upholding the UN oil regime for Libya to preserve this resource for all Libyans. As a secondary task, EUNAVFOR MED IRINI also contributes to the disruption of the business model of human smuggling and trafficking networks through information gathering and patrolling by planes.
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EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migration Protection and Reintegration.
Copyright: International Organisation for Migration (IOM)
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Delivery of medicines & Equipment to Health facilities.
Copyright: International Medical Corps (IMC)
Response to COVID-19
EU programmes worth over EUR 66 million, mostly from EUTF Africa funds, but also from bilateral and humanitarian funding, contribute to the COVID-19 response in Libya.
Humanitarian actions have been adjusted in 2020 to assist the Libyan COVID-19 response through awareness-raising, hygiene promotion and supporting health facilities with personal protection equipment. Bilateral programmes contribute to the COVID-19 response by reinforcing the health system, fighting misinformation, and supporting the post-crisis economic recovery.
Through the EUTF Africa, the EU supported the fragile public health system already before the pandemic outbreak. Since then, EUTF Africa actions were refocused to contribute to the COVID-19 response through a variety of interventions including the distribution of essential personal protective equipment, training to medical staff, and campaigns to prevent the spread of the virus among vulnerable groups.
Through a EUR 22 million COVID-19 specific programme the EU works with WHO, IOM, IMC and UNICEF to assist the authorities to better coordinate the virus response across the country, and provide for the most urgent needs of health care providers.