The EU-Israel relationship remained strong in 2009, though bilateral relations were negatively affected by the Gaza conflict and lack of Middle East peace progress. Israel remained an active partner under the European Neighborhood Policy. The EU and Israel signed agreements on agriculture and industrial products. Bilateral trade declined over 20% due to the global slowdown, though the EU remains Israel's top trading partner. The EU will provide €6 million in funding to Israel from 2011-2013 to support implementation of their ENP Action Plan.

1. Country press pack
The EU and Israel
Progress in Relations – ENP Progress Report 2009
EU-Israel bilateral relations remained strong in 2009. At the same time, deterioration in the overall political
context, in particular as regards the Gaza conflict in December 2008-January 2009 and a lack of progress in
the Middle East Peace Process, negatively affected the process of upgrading bilateral relations between the
EU and Israel. The EU remains committed to upgrading relations with Israel but the situation was not
conducive to the resumption of the process.
Israel remained an active partner in the framework of the ENP. This was demonstrated by progress made in
implementing a large number of priorities of the Action Plan. In November 2009 the EU and Israel signed an
agreement on agricultural, processed agricultural and fish and fishery products, which entered into force in
January 2010. An EU-Israel agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance (ACAA) of Industrial
Products was initialled in June 2009. Four twinning projects are currently being implemented in areas covered
by the Action Plan and selected by the Israeli authorities. International democracy indexes rank Israel at levels
comparable to EU Member States. As regards human rights and fundamental freedoms, more efforts are
needed to address the economic and social situation of the Arab minority and enhance their integration in
Israeli society.
As a result of the global slow-down, bilateral trade started to fall in 2008 and bottomed out in 2009 with a fall of
over 20% compared to the previous year. The EU is Israel’s first trading partner (around 1/3 of overall Israel’s
trade).
2009 Israel country progress report http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/pdf/progress2010/sec10_520_en.pdf
Israel National Indicative Programme (NIP)
The overall budget for bilateral EU assistance to Israel under the European Neighbourhood and Partnership
Instrument (ENPI) will amount to €6 million in 2011-2013, according to the country’s National Indicative
Programme (NIP). This allocation will be used to support the implementation of the joint priorities agreed in the
EU-Israel ENP Action Plan and includes:
• Acquis-related activities in key ministries in areas such as trade, customs, veterinary and
phytosanitary matters, justice and home affairs, internal market issues, transport, energy,
environment, and “people-to-people” contacts, etc.;
• Activities in the field of higher education, in particular with a view to aligning education and training
policies in a global knowledge based economy;
• Events for the exchange and dissemination of information on acquis - and ENP Action Plan issues.
ENPI Info Centre Israel NIP wrap up

2. Photos: EU/ENPI Info Centre ©
Find out more…
ENPI Info Centre webpage – Israel
http://www.enpi-info.eu/countrymed.php?country=3
EU Delegation – Israel
http://www.delisr.ec.europa.eu/
EuropeAid – ENPI
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/neighbourhood/overview/index_en.htm
Documents
2009 Israel country progress report http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/pdf/progress2010/sec10_520_en.pdf
EC fact sheet 2009
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/10/177&format=HTML&aged=0&lang
uage=EN&guiLanguage=en
DG External Relations – Key documents
http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/israel/docs/index_en.htm
National Indicative Programme 2011-2013
http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/pdf/country/2011_enpi_nip_israel_en.pdf
Annual Action Programme 2009
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/documents/aap/2009/aap_2009_isr_en.pdf
Action Plan
http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/pdf/action_plans/israel_enp_ap_final_en.pdf
Country Report
http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/pdf/country/israel_enp_country_report_2004_en.pdf
Country Strategy Paper
http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/pdf/country/enpi_csp_nip_israel_en.pdf
Websites - Political and Economic relations
EuropeAid – Israel country page
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/neighbourhood/country-cooperation/israel/israel_en.htm
DG External Relations – Israel
http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/israel/index_en.htm
DG Trade – EU and Israel

3. http://ec.europa.eu/trade/creating-opportunities/bilateral-relations/countries/israel/index_en.htm
DG Trade – Israel statistics
http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2006/september/tradoc_113402.pdf
MEDSTAT II – Israel statistical profile
http://www.enpi-info.eu/file_static/IL-Profil_Stat_EN.pdf
Material
YOUROPE spotlight on EU cooperation in Israel – EU Delegation (Hebrew)
http://www.enpi-info.eu/mainmed.php?id=20553&id_type=1
ENPI Info Centre – Israel news
http://www.enpi-info.eu/list_type_med.php?keyword=Israel&id_type=1&newstype=1
The EU and Israel (EU Delegation publication - 2007)
http://www.enpi-info.eu/files/publications/ENGLISH-FINAL.pdf
ENPI Info Centre feature - Women for Women (2008)
http://www.enpi-info.eu/files/features/42822073.pdf
ENPI Info Centre feature- Greenhouse project: Where filmmakers meet (2008)
http://www.enpi-info.eu/files/features/36536499.pdf
Photos
ENPI Info Centre - Photo gallery
http://www.enpi-info.eu/list_galleries_med.php?country=3
EU-Israel Association Council 2009 - Photo library
http://www.enpi-info.eu/list_images_med.php?id=228&iden=228
Israeli ambassador - Presentation of Credentials 2009 – Photo library
http://www.enpi-info.eu/list_images_med.php?id=228&iden=228
Association Council Meetings – Israel 2009 – Photo library
http://www.enpi-info.eu/list_images_med.php?id=14&iden=14
EuropeAid - Photo library
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/multimedia/photos/library/index.cfm
May 2010