Free trade agreements of the European Union explained

See also: European Union Customs Union.

The European Union has concluded free trade agreements (FTAs)^[1] and other agreements with a trade component with many countries worldwide and is negotiating with many others.^[2] The European Union negotiates free trade deals on behalf of all of its member states, as the member states have granted the EU has an "exclusive competence" to conclude trade agreements. Even so, member states' governments control every step of the process (via the Council of the European Union, whose members are national ministers from each national government):

• Before negotiations start, member states' governments (via the Council of Ministers) approve the negotiating mandate;
• During negotiations, member states' governments are regularly briefed on the progress of negotiations and can update the negotiations mandate or suspend negotiations;
• Upon conclusion of negotiations, member states' governments decide whether the agreement should be signed;
• After approval from the European Parliament and (in case the agreement covers areas other than trade such as investment protection) upon ratification in each member state parliament, member states' governments decide whether the agreement should be concluded and enter into effect.

Trade agreements in force

State	No of jurisdictions represented	Signed	Provisional application	In force since	Notes	Relations
	1	2003		2004[3]	Customs union
	1	2006	2006	2009[4]	SAA	Negotiating for EU accession
	1	2002		2005[5]	Euro-mediterranean AA
Andean Community	3	2012[6]	2013, 2017	2024[7] [8]	FTA[9] [10]
	1	1990		1991[11]	Customs union	Andorra–EU relations
	1	2023		2024[12]	SIFA
	1	2008	2008	2015[13]	SAA	Candidate for EU accession
Central America	6	2012	2013	2024[14]	AA	European Union Central American Association Agreement
	1	2002	2003	2005[15]	AA[16]
	1	2001		2004[17]	Euro-mediterranean AA
	1	1996		1997[18]	Autonomous entity of Denmark	Faroe Islands-EU relations
	1	2014	2014	2016[19]	AA incl DCFTA	Georgia–EU relations and Candidate for EU accession
	1	1992		1994[20]	EEA	Iceland–EU relations
	1	1995	1996[21]	2000[22]	Euro-Mediterranean AA	Israel–EU relations
	1	2018[23]		2019[24]	Economic Partnership Agreement [25]	Japan-EU relations
	1	1997		2002[26]	Euro-Mediterranean AA	Jordan–EU relations
	1	2023		2024	Economic Partnership Agreement
	1	2015		2016[27]	SAA	Potential candidate for EU accession
	1	2002		2006[28]		Lebanon–EU relations
	1	1992		1995	EEA	Liechtenstein–EU relations
	1	1997		2000[29]	FTA[30] [31]	Mexico–EU relations
	1	2014	2014	2016[32]	Moldova–European Union Association Agreement incl European Union–Moldova Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area	Moldova–EU relations and Negotiating for EU accession
	1			1958	Franco-Monegasque Customs Convention (customs union)[33]	Monaco–EU relations
	1	2007	2008	2010[34]	SAA	Negotiating for EU accession
	1	1996		2000[35]	Euro-Mediterranean AA	Morocco–EU relations
	1	2023		2024[36]	FTA	New Zealand–EU relations
	1	2001	2001	2004[37]	SAA	Negotiating for EU accession
	1	1992		1994	EEA	Norway–EU relations
's Overseas Countries and Territories	13	2001		2001[38] [39]	Association of the OCTs with the EU
	1	1997		1997[40]	Euro-Mediterranean AA	Palestine–EU relations
	1	1991	1992	2002[41]	Customs union	San Marino–EU relations
	1	2008	2010	2013[42]	SAA	Negotiating for EU accession
	1	2018[43]		2019[44]	FTA[45]
	1	1999	2000[46]	2004[47]	ATDC	South Africa–EU relations
	1	2010	2011	2015[48]	FTA[49]	South Korea–EU relations
	1	1972		1973[50]	Trade agreement	Switzerland–EU relations
	1	1995		1998[51]	Euro-Mediterranean AA
	1	1995		1995[52]	Customs union	Turkey–EU relations
	1	2014	2016	2017[53] [54]	Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement incl DCFTA	Ukraine–EU relations and Negotiating for EU accession
	1	2020	2021[55]	2021[56]	Trade and Cooperation Agreement	United Kingdom–EU relations
	1	2019		2020[57]	EVFTA[58]	Vietnam–EU relations

Trade agreements provisionally applied

State	Signed	Provisional Application	Ratification	Notes	Relations
CARIFORUM States	2008	2008	[59]	EPA - Croatia acceded to the agreement on 28 November 2017
Eastern and Southern Africa States [60]	2009	2012, 2019	[61]	Interim Agreement for establishing a framework for an EPA
	2009	2016	[62]	Stepping Stone EPA
	2009	2014	[63]	Interim agreement with a view to an EPA
Pacific States	2009	2009, 2014, 2018, 2020	[64]	Interim Partnership Agreement
South African Development Community members	2016	2016	[65]	Economic Partnership Agreement
	2016	2016[66]		Stepping Stone EPA
	2016	2017[67]	[68]	Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement[69]

Agreements finalised (negotiations concluded, but not signed)

State	Negotiations Concluded	Signed	Provisional Application	Ratification	Notes
	December 2023	No	No		Association Agreement[71]
Economic Community of West African States members	6 February 2014		No	No	Economic Partnership Agreement[72]
Eastern African Community members	16 October 2014		No	Ratified by Rwanda and Kenya	Economic Partnership Agreement[73]
	30 December 2020[74]	No	No	No	Comprehensive Agreement on Investment
Mercosur	28 June 2019[75]	No	No	No	European Union–Mercosur free trade agreement. Part of an Association Agreement.
	28 April 2020[76]	No	No	No	Updated Free Trade Agreement between Mexico and the European Union

Negotiating new agreements

State	New agreement being negotiated	Status
	Australia Agreement	Negotiations launched in 2018[77]
	Free Trade Agreement	Negotiations from 2007 to 2013; restarted in 2022[78] [79]
	Free Trade Agreement	Negotiations launched in 2016
	European Union Association Agreement	Negotiations launched in 2015, but halted in 2023[80]
	Economic Partnership Agreements as part of the Pacific States Interim Partnership Agreement	Informed the EU of its intention to accede to the EPA.
	Economic Partnership Agreements as part of the Pacific States Interim Partnership Agreement	Informed the EU of its intention to accede to the EPA.[81]
	Economic Partnership Agreements as part of the Pacific States Interim Partnership Agreement	Informed the EU of its intention to accede to the EPA.
	Economic Partnership Agreements as part of the Pacific States Interim Partnership Agreement	Informed the EU of its intention to accede to the EPA.
	Free Trade Agreement	Negotiations launched in 2015
	Economic Partnership Agreements as part of the Pacific States Interim Partnership Agreement	Informed the EU of its intention to accede to the EPA.

Negotiations on hold

Country or bloc	Agreement being negotiated	Status
Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf States	Free Trade Agreement	Negotiations started in 1990, suspended since 2008[82]
Central Africa	Economic Partnership Agreement	Negotiations started in 2003, paused until further notice in 2011
Eastern and Southern Africa States	Economic Partnership Agreement	Negotiations started in 2004, paused until further notice in 2011
	Free Trade Agreement	Negotiations started in 2010, paused since 2012
	Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area	Negotiations started in 2013, on hold since 2014 at Morocco’s request[83]
	Investment protection agreement	Negotiations launched in 2015
	Free Trade Agreement	Negotiations started in 2013, no negotiations scheduled since 2014
	Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area	Negotiations launched in 2015, on hold since 2019[84]
	Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership	Negotiations started in 2013, suspended since 2019

Competence

The European Court of Justice has held that investor-state arbitration provisions (including a dedicated tribunal planned by some free trade agreements) falls under competency shared between European Union and its member states and that for this reason, the ratification of such mixed agreements^[86] should be approved by the EU as well as by each of the union's member states.^[87] This court decision has resulted in a new architecture of external trade negotiations which will have two components:^[88]

• a free trade agreement - related exclusively to trade matters - which can be adopted at the EU level;
• an investment agreement - containing investment, arbitration and other non-trade provisions - which needs to be ratified by the member states as well.

Impact to consumers

One study found that the trade agreements that the EU implemented over the period 1993-2013 have, on average, increased the quality of imported goods by 7% and therefore "lowered quality-adjusted prices by close to 7%," without having much of an impact on the non-adjusted price.^[89]

See also

• Economic Partnership Agreements
  • EU-ACP EUR.1 movement certificate
• Euro-Mediterranean free trade area
• European Union Association Agreement
• Everything but Arms
• Free trade agreements of the United Kingdom
• Free trade area
• Free trade areas in Europe
• List of bilateral free trade agreements
• List of free trade agreements
• List of the largest trading partners of the European Union
• Trade deal negotiation between the UK and EU (2020)
• Trade defence instrument
• United States free trade agreements

External links

• Negotiations and agreements, EU trade relationships by country/region, European Commission
• Trade Flows, Animated infographics, European Parliamentary Research Service
• Articles on EU FTAs, at Agritrade
• The Transatlantic Colossus: Global Contributions to Broaden the Debate on the EU-US Free Trade Agreement A collaborative publication with over 20 articles on the global implications of the TAFTA | TTIP
• Koeth, Wolfgang (8 December 2014) "The Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements: an Appropriate Response by the EU to the Challenges in its Neighbourhood"?

Notes and References

1. Web site: Negotiations and agreements. European Commission. 10 July 2023.
2. Web site: Agreements. European Commission. 17 March 2016.
3. Web site: EUR-Lex - 12003T/PRO/03 - EN. Official Journal L 236, 23/09/2003 P. 0940 - 944. 7 July 2023.
4. Web site: Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Albania, of the other part. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 28 October 2015.
5. Web site: Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement between the European Community and its Members States, of the one part, and the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, of the other part. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 28 October 2015.
6. http://euobserver.com/9/32177 EU signs FTA
7. Web site: Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Colombia and Peru, of the other part. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 26 October 2017.
8. Web site: Agreement details. Council of the European Union. 26 October 2017.
9. http://en.mercopress.com/2013/08/03/eu-fta-agreements-with-colombia-and-central-america-became-effective-august-first EU FTA agreements with Colombia and Central America became effective August first
10. Web site: EU Trade Policy with the Andean Community.
11. Web site: Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Economic Community and the Principality of Andorra. 28 October 2015.
12. Web site: Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Angola . Agreements Database, Council of the European Union.
13. Web site: Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, of the other part. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 28 October 2015.
14. Web site: Agreement establishing an Association between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America on the other . 26 October 2017 . Agreements Database, Council of the European Union.
15. Web site: Agreement establishing an Association between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Chile, of the other part. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 28 October 2015.
16. Web site: Chile - Trade - European Commission. ec.europa.eu. 2015-06-15.
17. Web site: Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement between the European Communities and its Member States and the Arab Republic of Egypt. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 28 October 2015.
18. Web site: Agreement between the European Community, of the one part, and the Government of Denmark and the Home Government of the Faroe Islands, of the other part. 28 October 2015.
19. Web site: Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 28 October 2015.
20. Web site: Agreement on the European Economic Area. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 29 October 2015.
21. Web site: Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related matters between the European Community and the European Coal and Steel Community, of the one part, and the State of Israel, on the other part. 28 October 2015.
22. Web site: Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the State of Israel, of the other part. 28 October 2015.
23. News: EU and Japan sign Economic Partnership Agreement. Trade - European Commission. 2018-07-17. en.
24. Web site: EU-Japan trade agreement will enter into force on 1 February 2019. 2018-12-21. Today, the EU and Japan notified each other of the completion of their respective ratification procedures..
25. Web site: Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Japan. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union.
26. Web site: Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, of the other part. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 28 October 2015.
27. Web site: Information relating to the entry into force of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and Kosovo (*), of the other part. Europa.eu. 25 March 2016.
28. Web site: Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Community and its Members States, of the one part, and the Republic of Lebanon, of the other part. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 28 October 2015.
29. Web site: Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, of the other part. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 28 October 2015.
30. Web site: Mexico - Trade - European Commission. ec.europa.eu. 2015-06-15.
31. Web site: Economic Partnership, Political Coordination and Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the United Mexican States, of the other part. eur-lex.europa.eu. 2015-06-15.
32. Web site: Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Moldova, of the other part. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 28 October 2015.
33. Web site: Monaco and the European Union. 31 January 2021. Gouvernement Princier.
34. Web site: Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States of the one part, and the Republic of Montenegro, of the other part. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 28 October 2015.
35. Web site: Agreement details. Council of the European Union. 7 August 2013.
36. Web site: Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand . 1 May 2024 . Agreements Database, Council of the European Union.
37. Web site: Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, of the other part. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 28 October 2015.
38. Web site: Council Decision 2013/755/EU of 25 November 2013 on the association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Union. 19 December 2013. EUR-Lex.
39. Web site: Council Decision 2001/822/EC of 27 November 2001 on the association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Community. 27 November 2001. EUR-Lex.
40. Web site: Euro-Mediterranean Interim Association Agreement on Trade and Cooperation between the European Community, of the one part, and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) for the benefit of the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, of the other part. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 28 October 2015.
41. Web site: Agreement on Cooperation and Customs Union between the European Economic Community and the Republic of San Marino. 29 October 2015.
42. Web site: Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Serbia, of the other part. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 28 October 2015.
43. Web site: Singapore, EU ink landmark free trade agreement. www.channelnewsasia.com. en. 2018-12-21. [...] the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA) was signed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, European Council president Donald Tusk and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. [...] The leaders also witnessed the signing of the EU-Singapore Investment Protection Agreement (EUSIPA) – a pact that will replace 12 existing bilateral investment treaties between Singapore and EU member states to offer better investment protection – and the EU-Singapore Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (ESPCA).. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831061051/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/singapore-eu-ink-landmark-free-trade-agreement-10846210. dead.
44. Web site: Council Decision on the conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Singapore. [...] the Agreement should enter into force on 21 November 2019 in agreement with the Singaporean side.
45. Web site: Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Singapore. en. 2018-10-29. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union.
46. Web site: Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the Community and South Africa, which provides for the provisional application of a portion of the Agreement on Trade, Development and Cooperation between the European Community and its Member States, on the one part, and the Republic of South Africa, on the other part. 28 October 2015.
47. Web site: Agreement on Trade, Development and Cooperation between the European Community and its Member States, on the one part, and the Republic of South Africa, on the other part. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 28 October 2015.
48. Web site: Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Korea, of the other part. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 28 October 2015.
49. Web site: EUR-Lex - L:2011:127:TOC - EN - EUR-Lex. eur-lex.europa.eu. 2015-06-15.
50. Web site: Trade agreement details. Council of the European Union. 17 January 2016.
51. Web site: Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Tunisia, of the other part. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 29 October 2015.
52. Web site: Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye | EEAS. www.eeas.europa.eu. 7 July 2023.
53. Web site: Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Ukraine, of the other part. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 29 October 2015.
54. Web site: Agreement.
55. Web site: 29 December 2020. EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement: Council adopts decision on the signing. Consilium.
56. Web site: Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part. 2021-01-04. www.consilium.europa.eu. en.
57. Web site: Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. en. 2019-07-02. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union.
58. Web site: Vietnam - Trade - European Commission.
59. Web site: Economic Partnership Agreement between the CARIFORUM States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 26 October 2017.
60. Did not sign
61. Web site: Interim Agreement establishing a framework for an Economic Partnership Agreement between the Eastern and Southern Africa States, on the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, on the other part. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. 26 October 2017.
62. Web site: Agreement details. Council of the European Union. 26 October 2017.
63. Web site: Agreement details. Council of the European Union. 26 October 2017.
64. Web site: Agreement details. Council of the European Union. 26 October 2017.
65. Web site: Agreement details. Council of the European Union. 26 October 2017.
66. Web site: Agreement details. Council of the European Union. 26 October 2017.
67. News: Canada, EU to provisionally apply CETA in September. 18 July 2017. CBC News. 8 July 2017.
68. Web site: Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada, of the one part, and the European Union and its Member States, of the other part. Agreements Database, Council of the European Union.
69. Web site: In Focus: EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.
70. Web site: Interim Agreement on Trade between the European Union and the Republic of Chile . Agreements Database, Council of the European Union.
71. Web site: Commission proposes Association Agreement with Andorra and San Marino to the Council. European Commission. 9 May 2024. 26 April 2024.
72. Web site: West Africa - Trade - European Commission. 2021-01-03. ec.europa.eu.
73. Web site: East African Community (EAC) - Trade - European Commission. 2021-01-03. ec.europa.eu.
74. Web site: EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment . 11 May 2022.
75. News: 2019-06-28. EU and Mercosur agree huge trade deal after 20-year talks. en-GB. BBC News. 2021-01-03.
76. Web site: Press corner . 2022-12-03 . European Commission - European Commission . en.
77. Web site: Agreements being negotiated. 31 January 2021. European Commission.
78. Web site: Brzozowski . Alexandra . Allenbach-Ammann . János . 2022-06-10 . EU and India to start trade negotiations, with 2024 target . 2022-07-01 . www.euractiv.com . en-GB.
79. Web site: Directorate-General for Trade . Directorate-General for Trade . 17 June 2022 . EU and India kick-start ambitious trade agenda . 2022-07-01 . policy.trade.ec.europa.eu . en.
80. Web site: 2015-03-18. RECORDED HRVP Federica MOGHERINI host the ceremony on the occasion of the launching of the Association Agreement(s) negotiations with the Principality of Andorra, the Principality of Monaco and the Republic of San Marino. 2021-02-01. European Commission.
81. Web site: OVERVIEW OF ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS .
82. Web site: Agreements on hold . . 31 January 2021.
83. Web site: Countries and regions: Morocco . 31 January 2021. European Commission.
84. Web site: Countries and regions: Tunisia. 31 January 2021. European Commission.
85. Web site: EU - Croatia. World Trade Organization.
86. Web site: EU Trade Agreements: To Mix or not to Mix, That is the Question . https://web.archive.org/web/20210109161832/https://respect.eui.eu/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2020/05/Mixity.pdf . 2021-01-09.
87. Web site: UE. Pas de traité commercial sans l'accord des parlements nationaux. 15 May 2017 .
88. Web site: EU trade agreements - New architecture of trade agreements . 11 May 2022.
89. Web site: The consumer benefits of trade agreements: Evidence from the EU trade policy. Berlingieri. Giuseppe. Breinlich. Holger. 2018-03-12. VoxEU.org. 2018-03-12. Dhingra. Swati.