Brussels — In a significant move to deepen ties with the Gulf region, the European Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs have welcomed the Council’s green light to begin formal negotiations with all six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The objective is to establish ambitious and comprehensive bilateral Strategic Partnership Agreements (SPAs) that will usher in a new era of enhanced EU-Gulf cooperation.
These negotiations are expected to yield a modern framework for bilateral relations across an extensive range of strategic areas, including foreign and security policy, trade and investment, energy and climate, justice and law enforcement, digital transformation, education, culture, and people-to-people engagement.
“This marks the beginning of a new era,” said Kaja Kallas, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission. “There is huge untapped potential in the EU’s relationship with the Gulf region. As of today, we will negotiate bilateral Strategic Partnership Agreements with the six Gulf partners. These should bring many mutual benefits across a wide range of priority areas, from increasing economic diversification to jointly tackling security challenges, and working together on digitalisation and connectivity.”
The EU’s renewed focus on the Gulf follows the strategic orientation laid out in the 2022 Joint Communication on a Strategic Partnership with the Gulf and was reaffirmed during the high-level EU–GCC Summit in Brussels in October 2024.
The SPAs are seen as a decisive evolution from traditional cooperation models, with the EU positioning itself as a global actor in one of the world’s most geopolitically important regions. According to Maroš Šefčovič, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, “The Strategic Partnership Agreements with the GCC countries will provide a major boost to our trade and investment relations, creating new opportunities for businesses, enhancing market access, and promoting economic growth. We can unlock the full potential of our economic partnership and strengthen our position as a global trading power.”
This new mandate allows the Commission to tailor each SPA to the specific priorities and objectives shared between the EU and its individual Gulf partners, ensuring flexibility and responsiveness to diverse regional contexts. In doing so, the EU also reinforces its commitment to promoting peace, prosperity, and sustainable development across the broader Middle East.
Dubravka Šuica, Commissioner for the Mediterranean, emphasized the importance of shared values and regional cooperation. “Our partnership with the GCC partners is built on mutual respect and shared objectives. Through the Strategic Partnership Agreements, we aim to take our cooperation to the next level. We are deepening and widening our bilateral relations in a wide array of areas putting always people at the center. These partnerships will also allow for strengthening our cooperation at regional level to build peace and promote stability and prosperity in the broader Middle East.”
Next Steps
Negotiations are expected to begin promptly, with the sequence and pace of discussions determined by each Gulf partner’s readiness and interest. The SPAs will complement existing cooperation mechanisms, including ongoing Free Trade Agreement discussions, while offering a more holistic and dynamic approach to engagement.
As global challenges intensify, from geopolitical instability to climate change and digital transformation, the EU’s move signals a strategic recalibration—one that seeks to transform longstanding economic and political relationships into truly strategic, future-oriented partnerships.
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Source: European Commission
