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EU–Egypt relations: facts and figures

The EU and Egypt have a strong and longstanding relationship with growing cooperation. Egypt is a key strategic partner in light of its geographical location and the major role it plays in the region.

Political cooperation

In March 2024, the EU and Egypt signed a strategic and comprehensive partnership, which further elevates their relationship. The partnership focuses on six pillars:

  • political relations
  • economic stability
  • trade and investment
  • migration and mobility
  • security
  • demography and human capital

The first ever EU-Egypt summit took place in Brussels on 22 October 2025. The summit was an opportunity to further deepen EU-Egypt bilateral relations and their political and economic partnership, with the aim of fostering the parties' shared stability, peace and prosperity.

A globe highlighting the European Union and Egypt with the respective flags.

Financial assistance

The strategic and comprehensive partnership between the EU and Egypt is accompanied by a financial and investment package of €7.4 billion for 2024-2027.

through macro-financial assistance operations

to be mobilised through the European financial institutions

including €200 million for migration

In December 2024, the EU disbursed €1 billion in short-term macro-financial assistance. In 2025, the second macro-financial assistance package of €4 billion was adopted. The first €1 billion of this package was disbursed in January 2026.

In addition, in June 2025, the EU-Egypt investment guarantee for development mechanism was launched. The aim is to mobilise up to €5 billion in investments by 2027 to support Egypt’s green transition.

Cooperation on research and innovation

In the margins of their first bilateral summit in October 2025, the EU and Egypt signed an agreement on Egypt’s association with Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation funding programme. The agreement, the negotiations for which were concluded in April 2025, will reinforce Egypt’s research and innovation capacities, enabling Egyptian researchers and organisations to participate in joint research projects on equivalent terms to entities established in EU countries.

Trade relations

Trade in goods

In 2025, the EU was Egypt’s top trading partner in goods, accounting for over 22% of Egypt’s trade. Trade in goods between the EU and Egypt was worth €32.4 billion, with €12.4 billion worth of imports and €20 billion of exports.

In the last decade EU-Egypt trade in goods has grown by around 27%.

On the left, a circle with the flag of egypt, that has red, white, and black stripes with a golden eagle at the center, directs three arrows toward a circle of twelve EU stars on the right.

€12.4 billion worth of imports from Egypt

Square chart symbolising trade in goods between the EU and Egypt.
On the left, twelve EU stars direct three arrows toward a circle on the right that contains the flag of egypt, that has red, white, and black stripes with a golden eagle at the center.

€20 billion worth of exports to Egypt

Top goods traded between the EU and Egypt

chemicals

machinery and appliances (EU exports)

mineral products

vegetables (EU imports)

Trade in services

In 2024 (the most recent year with data available) trade in services between the EU and Egypt was worth over €13.7 billion, comprising €5.6 billion in EU exports and nearly €8.2 billion in EU imports. Trade in services more than doubled (+102%) between 2014 and 2024.

On the left, a circle with the flag of egypt, that has red, white, and black stripes with a golden eagle at the center, directs three arrows toward a circle of twelve EU stars on the right.

€8.2 billion worth of imports from Egypt

Square chart symbolising trade in services between the EU and Egypt.
On the left, twelve EU stars direct three arrows toward a circle on the right that contains the flag of egypt, that has red, white, and black stripes with a golden eagle at the center.

€5.6 billion worth of exports to Egypt

Top services in EU-Egypt trade

transport services

travel services (EU imports)

other business services (e.g. professional and management consulting services)

telecommunications, computer and information services (EU exports)

EU-Egypt agreements related to trade

The EU-Egypt association agreement has been in force since 2004. It creates a free-trade area between the EU and Egypt by removing tariffs on industrial products and making agricultural products easier to trade.

Another agreement on agricultural, processed agricultural and fisheries products entered into force on 1 June 2010.

Foreign direct investments

The total FDI stock between the EU and Egypt totalled €37.1 billion in 2024, with EU inward FDI stock accounting for €1.7 billion and its outward FDI stock amounting to €35.4 billion.

Cooperation on security and defence

In the field of peace, security and defence, the European Union regards Egypt as a key partner, including in the context of the EU-Egypt security and defence dialogue. 

The EU and Egypt cooperate in shared priority areas, such as regional maritime security, counterterrorism and cyber security. Exchanges also address law enforcement, border security, countering organised crime, the fight against all forms of smuggling and trafficking, and disinformation campaigns.

Egypt is one of the beneficiaries of the European Peace Facility (EPF). To date, the Council has adopted two assistance measures - worth €40 million - in favour of the Egyptian Armed Forces. The objective of the assistance measures is to enhance Egypt’s national security and stability as well as the protection of civilians.

Data sources

The data used on this page concerning EU-Egypt trade relations was extracted in May 2026 and comes from the following Eurostat datasets:

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Last review: 17 June 2026