Trade liberalization in the Near East region is taking place at three distinct and overlapping levels: unilateral liberalization, regional integration schemes and multilateral trade liberalization. The Near East countries are also affected by trade policies of other countries; they face a neighbouring Europe that has come to greatly influence both production and trade of farm produce. RNE will assist Member Countries in capacity development to:

• Integrate trade policies into national development strategies and enhance capabilities in trade policy areas;

• Develop agricultural trade strategies based on comparative and competitive advantages and efficient resource allocation;

• Prepare for multilateral trade negotiations on issues related to agriculture, fisheries and forestry;

• Ensure compliance with international technical standards as stipulated in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS), Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS); and

• Promote development in areas such as post-harvest technology, biotechnology, agro-industries and marketing infrastructure to assist member countries in enhancing and diversifying their agricultural exports. 

RNE will also continue to support efforts to enhance regional and sub-regional economic cooperation and integration.