Bahrain has been criticised by the EU for its treatment of political activists during and after the 2011 Bahraini uprising.[2]
Environment
In May 2015, Bahrain and the EU have expressed interest in hosting joint environmental projects, which includes preservation of the country's biodiversity and a review of environmental legislation.[3][4]
Trade
The EU is the GCC's largest trading partner, valued at €152 billion which accounts for over 13% of total exports. In turn, the GCC is the EU's fifth largest export market, which is worth €95 billion.[1]
Since 1990, the GCC and EU have entered negotiations for a free trade agreement. However, recurrent disputes have resulted in the talks being suspended by the GCC multiple times, the most recent of which being in 2008.[1][5]
^"Official document"(PDF). Draft Recommendations from Bahrain Europe Environment Week. Arab Regional Centre For World Heritage. Archived from the original(PDF) on 24 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.