Title: The World Trade Organization, the European Union, and the Arab World: Trade Policy Priorities and Pitfalls
Abstract: The long–term economic potential of the Middle East and North Africa has improved significantly in recent years as the peace process expands opportunities for investment and intraregional trade and cooperation. 2 The challenge facing many governments in the region is to adopt policies that will allow this potential to be realized by fostering private sector development and encouraging export–led growth. Many countries in the region are trying to reduce the state's role in the economy and shift away from import substitution and industrial protection strategies. Although some progress has been made, the pace of trade policy reform has varied substantially across countries, and many economies retain an anti–export bias. The gradual and tentative nature of reform has also created credibility