Free trade agreements of the European Union

Not to be confused with Trade agreements of the European Union.

See also: European Union Customs Union

EU Free trade agreements

  European Union

  Agreement in force

  Agreement provisionally applied

The European Union has concluded free trade agreements (FTAs) ^[1] . 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.

The list below only includes countries that have an FTA with the European Union according to the WTO. ^[1]

Free trade agreements in force

State	No of jurisdictions represented [a]	Signed	Provisional application	In force since	Notes	Relations
Albania	1	2006	2006 [b]	2009 [2]	SAA	Negotiating for EU accession
Algeria	1	2002		2005 [3]	Euro-mediterranean AA
Andean Community  Colombia  Ecuador  Peru	3	2012 [4]	2013, 2017	2024 [5] [6]	FTA [7] [8]
Andorra	1	1990		1991 [9]	Customs union	Andorra–EU relations
Bosnia and Herzegovina	1	2008	2008 [b]	2015 [10]	SAA	Candidate for EU accession
Central America  Costa Rica  Guatemala  Honduras  Nicaragua  Panama  El Salvador	6	2012	2013	2024 [11]	AA	Central America–European Union Association Agreement
Chile	1	2002, 2023	2003, 2024	2005 [12] 2025 [13]	AA, [14] Interim & Updated EU-Chile AA
Egypt	1	2001		2004 [15]	Euro-mediterranean AA
Faroe Islands	1	1996		1997 [16]	Autonomous entity of Denmark	Faroe Islands-EU relations
Georgia	1	2014	2014	2016 [17]	AA incl DCFTA	Georgia–EU relations and Candidate for EU accession
Iceland	1	1992		1994 [18]	EEA	Iceland–EU relations
Israel	1	1995	1996 [b] [19]	2000 [20]	Euro-Mediterranean AA	Israel–EU relations
Japan	1	2018 [21]		2019 [22]	Economic Partnership Agreement [23]	Japan-EU relations
Jordan	1	1997		2002 [24]	Euro-Mediterranean AA	Jordan–EU relations
Kenya	1	2023		2024 [25]	Economic Partnership Agreement
Lebanon	1	2002		2006 [26]	Euro-Mediterranean AA	Lebanon–EU relations
Liechtenstein	1	1992		1995 [18]	EEA	Liechtenstein–EU relations
Mexico	1	1997		2000 [27]	FTA [28] [29]	Mexico–EU relations
Moldova	1	2014	2014	2016 [30]	Moldova–European Union Association Agreement incl European Union–Moldova Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area	Moldova–EU relations and Negotiating for EU accession
Montenegro	1	2007	2008 [b]	2010 [31]	SAA	Negotiating for EU accession
Morocco	1	1996		2000 [32]	Euro-Mediterranean AA	Morocco–EU relations
New Zealand	1	2023		2024 [33]	FTA	New Zealand–EU relations
North Macedonia	1	2001	2001 [b]	2004 [34]	SAA	Negotiating for EU accession
Norway	1	1992		1994 [18]	EEA	Norway–EU relations
EU's Overseas Countries and Territories	13	2001		2001 [35] [36]	Association of the OCTs with the EU
Palestinian Authority	1	1997		1997 [37]	Euro-Mediterranean AA	Palestine–EU relations
San Marino	1	1991	1992 [c]	2002 [38]	Customs union	San Marino–EU relations
Serbia	1	2008	2010 [b]	2013 [39]	SAA	Negotiating for EU accession
Singapore	1	2018 [40]		2019 [41]	FTA [42]
South Africa	1	1999	2000 [43]	2004 [44]	ATDC [d]	South Africa–EU relations
South Korea	1	2010	2011	2015 [45]	FTA [46]	South Korea–EU relations
Switzerland	1	1972		1973 [47]	Trade agreement	Switzerland–EU relations
Syria	1	1977		1977	Cooperation agreement (partially suspended in 2011) [48]	Syria–EU relations
Tunisia	1	1995		1998 [49]	Euro-Mediterranean AA
Turkey	1	1995 [e]		1995 [50]	Customs union	Turkey–EU relations
Ukraine	1	2014	2016	2017 [51] [52]	Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement incl DCFTA	Ukraine–EU relations and Negotiating for EU accession
United Kingdom [f]	1	2020	2021 [53]	2021 [54]	Trade and Cooperation Agreement	United Kingdom–EU relations
Vietnam	1	2019		2020 [55]	EVFTA [56]	Vietnam–EU relations

Free trade agreements provisionally applied

State	Signed	Provisional Application	Ratification	Notes	Relations
Cameroon	2009	2014	21 / 30 [57]	Interim agreement with a view to an EPA
Canada	2016	2017 [58]	18 / 30 [59]	Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement [60]
CARIFORUM States  Antigua and Barbuda  Bahamas  Barbados  Belize  Dominica  Dominican Republic  Grenada  Guyana  Haiti  Jamaica  Saint Kitts and Nevis  Saint Lucia  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines  Suriname  Trinidad and Tobago	2008	2008	37 / 44 [61]	EPA - Croatia acceded to the agreement on 28 November 2017
Côte d'Ivoire	2009	2016	24 / 30 [62]	Stepping Stone EPA
Eastern and Southern Africa States  Comoros  Madagascar  Mauritius  Seychelles  Zimbabwe	2009	2012, 2019	5 / 35 [63]	Interim Agreement for establishing a framework for an EPA
Ghana	2016	2016 [64]	11 / 30 [64]	Stepping Stone EPA
Pacific States  Fiji  Papua New Guinea  Samoa  Solomon Islands	2009	2009, 2014, 2018, 2020	4 / 5 [65]	Interim Partnership Agreement
South African Development Community (SADC) members  Botswana  Lesotho  Mozambique  Namibia  South Africa  Eswatini	2016	2016	20 / 35 [66]	Economic Partnership Agreement

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 ^[67] should be approved by the EU as well as by each of the union's member states. ^[68] This court decision has resulted in a new architecture of external trade negotiations which will have two components: ^[69]

• 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. ^[70]

See also

• Business and economics portal
• Lists portal

• 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

Notes

1. Excluding the EU and its member states
2. Entry into force of Interim Agreement
3. Interim Agreement
4. Agreement on Trade, Development and Cooperation
5. Decision of the EC-Turkey Association Council
6. Includes Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man with regards to trade in goods and fisheries. For Northern Ireland, a more comprehensive arrangement is in place with regards to trade in goods based on the Withdrawal Agreement.

References

1. "WTO | Regional trade agreements". rtais.wto.org. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
2. "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. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
3. "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. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
4. http://euobserver.com/9/32177 EU signs FTA
5. "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. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
6. "Agreement details". Council of the European Union . Retrieved 26 October 2017.
7. 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
8. "EU Trade Policy with the Andean Community".
9. "Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Economic Community and the Principality of Andorra" . Retrieved 28 October 2015.
10. "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. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
11. "Agreement establishing an Association between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America on the other". Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
12. "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. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
13. "Interim Agreement on Trade between the European Union and the Republic of Chile". Agreements Database, Council of the European Union.
14. "Chile - Trade - European Commission". ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
15. "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. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
16. "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" . Retrieved 28 October 2015.
17. "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. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
18. "Agreement on the European Economic Area". Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
19. "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" . Retrieved 28 October 2015.
20. "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" . Retrieved 28 October 2015.
21. "EU and Japan sign Economic Partnership Agreement". Trade - European Commission. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
22. "EU-Japan trade agreement will enter into force on 1 February 2019". 21 December 2018. Today, the EU and Japan notified each other of the completion of their respective ratification procedures.
23. "Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Japan". Agreements Database, Council of the European Union.
24. "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. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
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27. "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. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
28. "Mexico - Trade - European Commission". ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
29. "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. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
30. "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. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
31. "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. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
32. "Agreement details". Council of the European Union . Retrieved 7 August 2013.
33. "Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand". Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
34. "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. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
35. "Council Decision 2013/755/EU of 25 November 2013 on the association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Union". EUR-Lex. 19 December 2013.
36. "Council Decision 2001/822/EC of 27 November 2001 on the association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Community". EUR-Lex. 27 November 2001.
37. "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. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
38. "Agreement on Cooperation and Customs Union between the European Economic Community and the Republic of San Marino" . Retrieved 29 October 2015.
39. "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. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
40. "Singapore, EU ink landmark free trade agreement". www.channelnewsasia.com. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2018. [...] 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).
41. "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
42. "Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Singapore". Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
43. "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" . Retrieved 28 October 2015.
44. "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. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
45. "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. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
46. "EUR-Lex - L:2011:127:TOC - EN - EUR-Lex". eur-lex.europa.eu. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
47. "Trade agreement details". Council of the European Union . Retrieved 17 January 2016.
48. "EU - Syrian Arab Republic". World Trade Organization . Archived from the original on 24 June 2025. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
49. "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. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
50. "Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye | EEAS". www.eeas.europa.eu. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
51. "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. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
52. "Agreement".
53. "EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement: Council adopts decision on the signing". Consilium. 29 December 2020.
54. "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". www.consilium.europa.eu. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
55. "Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam". Agreements Database, Council of the European Union. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
56. "Vietnam - Trade - European Commission".
57. "Agreement details". Council of the European Union . Retrieved 26 October 2017.
58. "Canada, EU to provisionally apply CETA in September". CBC News. 8 July 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
59. "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.
60. "In Focus: EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement".
61. "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. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
62. "Agreement details". Council of the European Union . Retrieved 26 October 2017.
63. "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. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
64. "Agreement details". Council of the European Union . Retrieved 26 October 2017.
65. "Agreement details". Council of the European Union . Retrieved 26 October 2017.
66. "Agreement details". Council of the European Union . Retrieved 26 October 2017.
67. "EU Trade Agreements: To Mix or not to Mix, That is the Question" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 January 2021.
68. "UE. Pas de traité commercial sans l'accord des parlements nationaux". 15 May 2017.
69. "EU trade agreements - New architecture of trade agreements" . Retrieved 11 May 2022.
70. Berlingieri, Giuseppe; Breinlich, Holger; Dhingra, Swati (12 March 2018). "The consumer benefits of trade agreements: Evidence from the EU trade policy". VoxEU.org. Retrieved 12 March 2018.

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"?