# Free trade agreements of the European Union

The European Union has concluded free trade agreements (FTAs) and other agreements with a trade component with many countries worldwide and is negotiating with many others. 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 |
| Akrotiri and Dhekelia | 1 | 2003 | | 2004 | Customs union | |
| Albania | 1 | 2006 | 2006 | 2009 | SAA | Negotiating for EU accession |
| Algeria | 1 | 2002 | | 2005 | Euro-mediterranean AA | |
| Andean Community Colombia Ecuador Peru | 3 | 2012 | 2013, 2017 | 2024 | FTA | |
| Andorra | 1 | 1990 | | 1991 | Customs union | Andorra–EU relations |
| Angola | 1 | 2023 | | 2024 | SIFA | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 | 2008 | 2008 | 2015 | SAA | Candidate for EU accession |
| Central America Costa Rica Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Panama El Salvador | 6 | 2012 | 2013 | 2024 | AA | European Union Central American Association Agreement |
| Chile | 1 | 2002, 2023 | 2003, 2024 | 2005 2025 | AA, Interim & Updated EU-Chile AA | |
| Egypt | 1 | 2001 | | 2004 | Euro-mediterranean AA | |
| Faroe Islands | 1 | 1996 | | 1997 | Autonomous entity of Denmark | Faroe Islands-EU relations |
| Georgia | 1 | 2014 | 2014 | 2016 | AA incl DCFTA | Georgia–EU relations and Candidate for EU accession |
| Iceland | 1 | 1992 | | 1994 | EEA | Iceland–EU relations |
| Israel | 1 | 1995 | 1996 | 2000 | Euro-Mediterranean AA | Israel–EU relations |
| Japan | 1 | 2018 | | 2019 | Economic Partnership Agreement | Japan-EU relations |
| Jordan | 1 | 1997 | | 2002 | Euro-Mediterranean AA | Jordan–EU relations |
| Kenya | 1 | 2023 | | 2024 | Economic Partnership Agreement | |
| Kosovo | 1 | 2015 | | 2016 | SAA | Potential candidate for EU accession |
| Lebanon | 1 | 2002 | | 2006 | Euro-Mediterranean AA | Lebanon–EU relations |
| Liechtenstein | 1 | 1992 | | 1995 | EEA | Liechtenstein–EU relations |
| Mexico | 1 | 1997 | | 2000 | FTA | Mexico–EU relations |
| Moldova | 1 | 2014 | 2014 | 2016 | Moldova–European Union Association Agreement incl European Union–Moldova Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area | Moldova–EU relations and Negotiating for EU accession |
| Monaco | 1 | | | 1958 | Franco-Monegasque Customs Convention (customs union) | Monaco–EU relations |
| Montenegro | 1 | 2007 | 2008 | 2010 | SAA | Negotiating for EU accession |
| Morocco | 1 | 1996 | | 2000 | Euro-Mediterranean AA | Morocco–EU relations |
| New Zealand | 1 | 2023 | | 2024 | FTA | New Zealand–EU relations |
| North Macedonia | 1 | 2001 | 2001 | 2004 | SAA | Negotiating for EU accession |
| Norway | 1 | 1992 | | 1994 | EEA | Norway–EU relations |
| EU's Overseas Countries and Territories | 13 | 2001 | | 2001 | Association of the OCTs with the EU | |
| Palestinian Authority | 1 | 1997 | | 1997 | Euro-Mediterranean AA | Palestine–EU relations |
| San Marino | 1 | 1991 | 1992 | 2002 | Customs union | San Marino–EU relations |
| Serbia | 1 | 2008 | 2010 | 2013 | SAA | Negotiating for EU accession |
| Singapore | 1 | 2018 | | 2019 | FTA | |
| South Africa | 1 | 1999 | 2000 | 2004 | ATDC | South Africa–EU relations |
| South Korea | 1 | 2010 | 2011 | 2015 | FTA | South Korea–EU relations |
| Switzerland | 1 | 1972 | | 1973 | Trade agreement | Switzerland–EU relations |
| Tunisia | 1 | 1995 | | 1998 | Euro-Mediterranean AA | |
| Turkey | 1 | 1995 | | 1995 | Customs union | Turkey–EU relations |
| Ukraine | 1 | 2014 | 2016 | 2017 | Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement incl DCFTA | Ukraine–EU relations and Negotiating for EU accession |
| United Kingdom | 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2021 | Trade and Cooperation Agreement | United Kingdom–EU relations |
| Vietnam | 1 | 2019 | | 2020 | EVFTA | Vietnam–EU relations |

## Trade agreements provisionally applied

| State | Signed | Provisional Application | Ratification | Notes |
| 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 | EPA - Croatia acceded to the agreement on 28 November 2017 |
| Eastern and Southern Africa States Comoros Madagascar Mauritius Seychelles Zambia Zimbabwe | 2009 | 2012, 2019 | 5 / 35 | Interim Agreement for establishing a framework for an EPA |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 2009 | 2016 | 23 / 30 | Stepping Stone EPA |
| Cameroon | 2009 | 2014 | 21 / 30 | Interim agreement with a view to an EPA |
| Pacific States Fiji Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands | 2009 | 2009, 2014, 2018, 2020 | 4 / 5 | Interim Partnership Agreement |
| South African Development Community members Botswana Lesotho Mozambique Namibia South Africa Swaziland | 2016 | 2016 | 20 / 35 | Economic Partnership Agreement |
| Ghana | 2016 | 2016 | 9 / 30 | Stepping Stone EPA |
| Canada | 2016 | 2017 | 18 / 30 | Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement |

## Agreements finalised (negotiations concluded, but not signed)

| State | Negotiations Concluded | Signed | Provisional Application | Ratification | Notes |
| Andorra San Marino | December 2023 | No | No | | Association Agreement |
| 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 |
| East African Community members Burundi Kenya Rwanda Tanzania Uganda | 16 October 2014 | | No | Ratified by Rwanda and Kenya | Economic Partnership Agreement |
| China | 30 December 2020 | No | No | No | Comprehensive Agreement on Investment |
| Mercosur Argentina Bolivia Brazil Paraguay Uruguay | 28 June 2019 | No | No | No | European Union–Mercosur free trade agreement. Part of an Association Agreement. |
| Mexico | 28 April 2020 | No | No | No | Updated Free Trade Agreement between Mexico and the European Union |

## Negotiating new agreements

| State | New agreement being negotiated | Status |
| Australia | Australia Agreement | Negotiations launched in 2018 |
| India | Free Trade Agreement | Negotiations from 2007 to 2013; restarted in 2022 |
| Indonesia | Free Trade Agreement | Negotiations launched in 2016 |
| Niue | Economic Partnership Agreements as part of the Pacific States Interim Partnership Agreement | Informed the EU of its intention to accede to the EPA. |
| Philippines | Free Trade Agreement | Negotiations launched in 2015 |
| 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. |
| Thailand | Free Trade Agreement | Negotiations started in 2013, paused in 2014, and resumed in 2023. |
| Tonga | Economic Partnership Agreements as part of the Pacific States Interim Partnership Agreement | Informed the EU of its intention to accede to the EPA. |
| Tuvalu | Economic Partnership Agreements as part of the Pacific States Interim Partnership Agreement | Informed the EU of its intention to accede to the EPA. |
| Vanuatu | 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 Bahrain Kuwait Oman Qatar Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates | Free Trade Agreement | Negotiations started in 1990, suspended since 2008 |
| 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 |
| Eastern and Southern Africa States  Ethiopia Djibouti Malawi Somalia Sudan Zambia | Economic Partnership Agreement | Negotiations started in 2004, paused until further notice in 2011 |
| Malaysia | Free Trade Agreement | Negotiations started in 2010, paused since 2012 |
| Monaco | European Union Association Agreement | Negotiations launched in 2015, but halted in 2023 |
| Morocco | Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area | Negotiations started in 2013, on hold since 2014 at Morocco’s request |
| Myanmar | Investment protection agreement | Negotiations launched in 2015 |
| Tunisia | Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area | Negotiations launched in 2015, on hold since 2019 |
| United States | Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership | Negotiations started in 2013, suspended since 2019 |

## Obsolete agreements

| Country or bloc | Agreement | Signed | Active | Obsolete |
| Croatia | SAA | 29 October 2001 | 1 March 2001 | 1 July 2013 |

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