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):
State | Signed | Provisional Application | Ratification | Notes | Relations |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
CARIFORUM States Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Belize Dominica Dominican Republic Grenada Guyana Jamaica Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Suriname Trinidad and Tobago Haiti | 2008 | 2008 | 37 / 44 [51] | EPA - Croatia acceded to the agreement on 28 November 2017 | |
Eastern and Southern Africa States Comoros Madagascar Mauritius Seychelles Zambia [52] Zimbabwe | 2009 | 2012, 2019 | 5 / 35 [53] | Interim Agreement for establishing a framework for an EPA | |
Central America Costa Rica Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Panama El Salvador | 2012 | 2013 | 34 / 34 [54] | European Union Central American Association Agreement | |
Côte d'Ivoire | 2009 | 2016 | 22 / 30 [55] | Stepping Stone EPA | |
Colombia Peru | 2012 [56] | 2013 | 28 / 30 [57] | FTA [58] | |
Cameroon | 2009 | 2014 | 21 / 30 [59] | Interim agreement with a view to an EPA | |
Pacific States Fiji Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands | 2009 | 2009, 2014, 2018, 2020 | 4 / 5 [60] | Interim Partnership Agreement | |
South African Development Community members Botswana Lesotho Mozambique Namibia South Africa Swaziland | 2016 | 2016 | 19 / 35 [61] | Economic Partnership Agreement | |
Ghana | 2016 | 2016 [62] | 9 / 30 [62] | Stepping Stone EPA | |
Ecuador | 2016 [63] | 2017 [64] | 29 / 32 [65] | Accession to EU-Peru-Colombia Free Trade Agreement [66] | |
Canada | 2016 | 2017 [67] | 18 / 30 [68] | Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement [69] |
State | Signed | Provisional Application | Ratification | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Angola | 17 November 2023 | No | 1 / 2 [70] | SIFA |
Chile | 13 December 2023 | No | 1 / 2 [71] | Updated EU-Chile Association Agreement |
Kenya | 18 December 2023 | No | 0 / 2 [72] | Economic Partnership Agreement [73] |
New Zealand | 7 September 2023 | No | 2 / 2 [74] | FTA [75] |
State | Negotiations Concluded | Signed | Provisional Application | Ratification | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Economic Community of West African States members Benin Burkina Faso Cabo Verde Côte d'Ivoire Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Liberia Mali Mauritania Niger Nigeria Senegal Sierra Leone Togo | 6 February 2014 | No | No | Economic Partnership Agreement [76] | |
Eastern African Community members Burundi Kenya Rwanda Tanzania Uganda | 16 October 2014 | No | Ratified by Rwanda and Kenya | Economic Partnership Agreement [73] | |
China | 30 December 2020 [77] | No | No | No | Comprehensive Agreement on Investment |
Mercosur Argentina Brazil Paraguay Uruguay | 28 June 2019 [78] | No | No | No | European Union–Mercosur free trade agreement. Part of an Association Agreement. |
Mexico | 28 April 2020 [79] | No | No | No | Updated Free Trade Agreement between Mexico and the European Union |
State | New agreement being negotiated | Status |
---|---|---|
Australia | Australia Agreement | Negotiations launched in 2018 [80] |
Andorra | European Union Association Agreement | Negotiations launched in 2015 [81] |
India | Free Trade Agreement | Negotiations from 2007 to 2013; [82] restarted in 2022 [83] [84] |
Indonesia | Free Trade Agreement | Negotiations launched in 2016 [80] |
Monaco | European Union Association Agreement | Negotiations launched in 2015 [81] |
Niue | Economic Partnership Agreements as part of the Pacific States Interim Partnership Agreement | Informed the EU of its intention to accede to the EPA. [85] |
Timor-Leste | Economic Partnership Agreements as part of the Pacific States Interim Partnership Agreement | Informed the EU of its intention to accede to the EPA. [85] |
Tonga | Economic Partnership Agreements as part of the Pacific States Interim Partnership Agreement | Informed the EU of its intention to accede to the EPA. [85] |
Tuvalu | Economic Partnership Agreements as part of the Pacific States Interim Partnership Agreement | Informed the EU of its intention to accede to the EPA. [85] |
Philippines | Free Trade Agreement | Negotiations launched in 2015 [80] |
San Marino | European Union Association Agreement | Negotiations launched in 2015 [81] |
Vanuatu | Economic Partnership Agreements as part of the Pacific States Interim Partnership Agreement | Informed the EU of its intention to accede to the EPA. [85] |
Country or bloc | Agreement being negotiated | Status |
---|---|---|
Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf States Bahrain Kuwait Oman Qatar Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates | Free Trade Agreement | Negotiations started in 1990, suspended since 2008 [82] |
Central Africa Central African Republic Chad Republic of Congo Equatorial Guinea Gabon Democratic Republic of Congo São Tomé and Principe | Economic Partnership Agreement | Negotiations started in 2003, paused until further notice in 2011 [82] |
Eastern and Southern Africa States Ethiopia | Economic Partnership Agreement | Negotiations started in 2004, paused until further notice in 2011 [82] |
Malaysia | Free Trade Agreement | Negotiations started in 2010, paused since 2012 [82] |
Morocco | Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area | Negotiations started in 2013, on hold since 2014 at Morocco’s request [86] |
Myanmar | Investment protection agreement | Negotiations launched in 2015 [82] |
Thailand | Free Trade Agreement | Negotiations started in 2013, no negotiations scheduled since 2014 [82] |
Tunisia | Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area | Negotiations launched in 2015, on hold since 2019 [87] |
United States | Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership | Negotiations started in 2013, suspended since 2019 [82] |
Country or bloc | Agreement | Signed | Active | Obsolete |
---|---|---|---|---|
Croatia | SAA | 29 October 2001 | 1 March 2001 | 1 July 2013 [88] |
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 [89] should be approved by the EU as well as by each of the union's member states. [90] This court decision has resulted in a new architecture of external trade negotiations which will have two components: [91]
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. [92]
The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is a regional trade organization and free trade area consisting of four European states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The organization operates in parallel with the European Union (EU), and all four member states participate in the European Single Market and are part of the Schengen Area. They are not, however, party to the European Union Customs Union.
The European Economic Area (EEA) was established via the Agreement on the European Economic Area, an international agreement which enables the extension of the European Union's single market to member states of the European Free Trade Association. The EEA links the EU member states and three of the four EFTA states into an internal market governed by the same basic rules. These rules aim to enable free movement of persons, goods, services, and capital within the European single market, including the freedom to choose residence in any country within this area. The EEA was established on 1 January 1994 upon entry into force of the EEA Agreement. The contracting parties are the EU, its member states, and Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. New members of EFTA would not automatically become party to the EEA Agreement, as each EFTA State decides on its own whether it applies to be party to the EEA Agreement or not. According to Article 128 of the EEA Agreement, "any European State becoming a member of the Community shall, and the Swiss Confederation or any European State becoming a member of EFTA may, apply to become a party to this Agreement. It shall address its application to the EEA Council." EFTA does not envisage political integration. It does not issue legislation, nor does it establish a customs union. Schengen is not a part of the EEA Agreement. However, all of the four EFTA States participate in Schengen and Dublin through bilateral agreements. They all apply the provisions of the relevant Acquis.
The Schengen Agreement is a treaty which led to the creation of Europe's Schengen Area, in which internal border checks have largely been abolished. It was signed on 14 June 1985, near the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, by five of the ten member states of the then European Economic Community. It proposed measures intended to gradually abolish border checks at the signatories' common borders, including reduced-speed vehicle checks which allowed vehicles to cross borders without stopping, allowing residents in border areas freedom to cross borders away from fixed checkpoints, and the harmonisation of visa policies.
The European Union (EU) has expanded a number of times throughout its history by way of the accession of new member states to the Union. To join the EU, a state needs to fulfil economic and political conditions called the Copenhagen criteria, which require a stable democratic government that respects the rule of law, and its corresponding freedoms and institutions. According to the Maastricht Treaty, each current member state and the European Parliament must agree to any enlargement. The process of enlargement is sometimes referred to as European integration. This term is also used to refer to the intensification of co-operation between EU member states as national governments allow for the gradual harmonisation of national laws.
The special territories of members of the European Economic Area (EEA) are the 32 special territories of EU member states and EFTA member states which, for historical, geographical, or political reasons, enjoy special status within or outside the European Union and the European Free Trade Association.
A European Union Association Agreement or simply Association Agreement (AA) is a treaty between the European Union (EU), its Member States and a non-EU country that creates a framework for co-operation between them. Areas frequently covered by such agreements include the development of political, trade, social, cultural and security links.
European Union citizenship is afforded to all nationals of member states of the European Union (EU). It was formally created with the adoption of the 1992 Maastricht Treaty, at the same time as the creation of the EU. EU citizenship is additional to, as it does not replace, national citizenship. It affords EU citizens with rights, freedoms and legal protections available under EU law.
In talks with countries that have expressed a wish to join the European Union, the EU typically concludes Association Agreements in exchange for commitments to political, economic, trade, or human rights reform in that country. In exchange, the country may be offered tariff-free access to some or all EU markets, and financial or technical assistance.
Switzerland is not a member state of the European Union (EU). It is associated with the Union through a series of bilateral treaties in which Switzerland has adopted various provisions of European Union law in order to participate in the Union's single market, without joining as a member state. Among Switzerland's neighbouring countries, all but one are EU member states.
Albania is on the current agenda for future enlargement of the European Union (EU). It applied for EU membership on 28 April 2009, and has since June 2014 been an official candidate for accession. The Council of the European Union decided in March 2020 to open accession negotiations with Albania.
The accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the European Union (EU) is the stated aim of the present relations between the two entities. Bosnia and Herzegovina has been recognised by the European Union as a "candidate country" for accession since the decision of the European Council in 2022 and is on the current agenda for future enlargement of the EU. Bosnia and Herzegovina takes part in the Stabilisation and Association Process and trade relations are regulated by an Interim Agreement.
The European Union Customs Union (EUCU), formally known as the Community Customs Union, is a customs union which consists of all the member states of the European Union (EU), Monaco, and the British Overseas Territory of Akrotiri and Dhekelia. Some detached territories of EU states do not participate in the customs union, usually as a result of their geographic separation. In addition to the EUCU, the EU is in customs unions with Andorra, San Marino and Turkey, through separate bilateral agreements.
The Republic of Azerbaijan and the European Union (EU) have maintained a positive relationship through the years and have become more closely linked since 1991. Azerbaijan is currently part of the European Neighborhood Policy, the Eastern Partnership and the Council of Europe. The EU is the largest foreign grant donor to and investor in Azerbaijan, both in the government sector and civil society, making available over 600 million EURO of bilateral EU assistance since 1992.
The Schengen Area is an area encompassing 29 European countries that have officially abolished border controls at their mutual borders. Being an element within the wider area of freedom, security and justice policy of the European Union (EU), it mostly functions as a single jurisdiction under a common visa policy for international travel purposes. The area is named after the 1985 Schengen Agreement and the 1990 Schengen Convention, both signed in Schengen, Luxembourg.
The accession of Kosovo to the European Union (EU) is on the current agenda for future enlargement of the EU. Kosovo is currently recognized by the EU as a potential candidate for accession.
The international status and usage of the euro has grown since its launch in 1999. When the euro formally replaced 12 currencies on 1 January 2002, it inherited their use in territories such as Montenegro and replaced minor currencies tied to pre-euro currencies, such as in Monaco. Four small states have been given a formal right to use the euro, and to mint their own coins, but all other usage outside the eurozone has been unofficial. With or without an agreement, these countries, unlike those in the eurozone, do not participate in the European Central Bank or the Eurogroup.
The European Union's (EU) Common Commercial Policy, or EU Trade Policy, is the policy whereby EU Member States delegate authority to the European Commission to negotiate their external trade relations, with the aim of increasing trade amongst themselves and their bargaining power vis-à-vis the rest of the world. The Common Commercial Policy is logically necessitated by the existence of the Customs Union, which in turn is also the foundation upon which the Single Market and Monetary Union were later established.
The EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) is a free trade agreement signed on 30 December 2020, between the European Union (EU), the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and the United Kingdom (UK). It provisionally applied from 1 January 2021, when the Brexit transition period ended, before formally entering into force on 1 May 2021, after the ratification processes on both sides were completed: the UK Parliament ratified on 30 December 2020; the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union ratified in late April 2021.
The Armenia–EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement or CEPA is a partnership agreement between the European Union and Armenia. The agreement advances the bilateral relations between the European Union and Armenia to a new, partnership level and regulates cooperation in political and economic sectors, while enhancing trade relations. The agreement develops these areas further, providing a long-term basis for integrating and strengthening EU–Armenia relations. The agreement is also designed to bring Armenian laws and regulations gradually closer to the EU acquis.
The EU–Armenia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) was a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Coal and Steel Community and Armenia. It was signed in Luxembourg and entered into force on 1 July 1999. The agreement served as the legal framework for EU–Armenia bilateral relations for 21 years, until its termination on 28 February 2021. The PCA was replaced by the Armenia–EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), a more comprehensive and complex agreement, which entered into force on 1 March 2021.
Today, the EU and Japan notified each other of the completion of their respective ratification procedures.
[...] 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).
[...] the Agreement should enter into force on 21 November 2019 in agreement with the Singaporean side