Egypt

EU and Egypt

Relations between the EU and Egypt are based on the Association Agreement, which entered into force in June 2004. 

The Partnership Priorities adopted at the ninth meeting of the EU-Egypt Association Council in June 2022 guide the relationship for the period 2021-2027 to further deepen dialogue and cooperation around three overarching priorities:

• Sustainable Modern Economy and Social Development
• Partnering in Foreign Policy
• Enhancing Stability

EU-Egypt Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership

On 17 March 2024, building on the Association Agreement concluded in 2004 and the Partnership Priorities agreed in 2022, the EU and Egypt have signed a Joint Declaration launching a new Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership allowing to untap the enormous potential of the relationship across all spheres of mutual interest.

The partnership covers 6 joint priorities: Political relations; Economic stability; Trade and sustainable investments; Migration and mobility; Security; People and skills. To underpin this partnership, the EU provides a substantial financial support package for Egypt worth €7.4 billion for 2024-2027 with:

• €5 billion in concessional loans (macro-financial assistance)
• €1.8 billion of additional investments, under the Southern Neighborhood Economic and Investment Plan
• €600 million in additional grants, including €200 million for migration management.

The first-ever EU-Egypt Summit took place on 22 October 2025 in Brussels. Leaders e.g. signed a Memorandum of Understanding on a € 4 billion Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) and Egypt’s association with Horizon Europe for Egyptian researchers and organisations, announced EU support to reinforce Technical and Vocational Training (TVET), envisaged to co-organise a business-investor roundtable in the second half of 2026, and operationalised a working arrangement between Europol and Egypt’s Ministry of the Interior; see the Joint Statement.

The next EU-Egypt summit is scheduled for 2027 in Egypt.

Bilateral cooperation

EU assistance to Egypt is funded mainly through the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI-GE) for the period 2021-2027. The instrument’s approach includes grant funding as well as blending grants with loans from European and International Financing Institutions.

The European Union’s cooperation framework with Egypt is the Multiannual Indicative Programme (MIP) for the period 2021-2027, based on the new Partnership Priorities, to support Egypt in the areas of:

• green and sustainable development
• human development, economic resilience and prosperity building through green and digital transition
• social cohesion, and the development of a modern and democratic state.

From 2021 to 2025, bilateral assistance to the country amounted to over €600 million.

The Joint Communication on the renewed partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood is accompanied by an Economic and Investment Plan for the Southern Neighbourhood (EIP) to strengthen resilience and build prosperity in the region. The EIP implements the Global Gateway in the region. EIP projects implemented in Egypt include: 

• Gabal Asfar wastewater treatment plant – Stage III, enhancing capacity and benefitting extra population through 1 million m3 of additional disposed water
• Tanta-El Mansoura-Damietta Railway, upgrading the 118 km Tanta-El Mansoura-Damietta railway line, including the doubling of the section El Mansoura-Damietta, re-signaling of the whole line and a freight link to Damietta port
• GREGY submarine electricity interconnection, building a 950 km long submarine cable to connect the electric power systems of Egypt and Greece for the transmission of clean energy produced from renewable sources in Egypt

Pact for the Mediterranean

On 28 November 2025, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Declaration, the EU and its Southern Mediterranean partners launched the Pact for the Mediterranean to reinforce the EU’s partnership with the region. On 17 April 2026, the European Commission presented the Action Plan which also covers Egypt.

Further information

Factsheets available to download