REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the Implementation and Enforcement of EU Trade Policy
Date: 2024-10-03
Institutions: Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security, European Commission
Subjects: Dispute Settlement Body, common commercial policy, international trade, small and medium-sized enterprises, third country, trade agreement, trade agreement (EU), trade dispute, trade policy, trade restriction

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 3.10.2024  COM(2024) 385 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the Implementation and Enforcement of EU Trade Policy                                        {SWD(2024) 386 final}  
 
 
CONTENTS 

I. 

INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 2 

I.1 

Executive summary ................................................................................................................... 2 

I.2 

Scope of this report .................................................................................................................... 6 

II.  MAKING FULL USE OF THE EU’S BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENTS ................ 7 

II.1  Trade with preferential partners – main developments in 2023 ........................................... 7 

II.2  Advancing the implementation of EU bilateral trade agreements ...................................... 11 

III.  HELPING SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES TO FIND THEIR PLACE 

IN GLOBAL TRADE ............................................................................................................. 19 

IV.  ADDRESSING BARRIERS AND FINDING SOLUTIONS ............................................... 22 

IV.1  State of play and trends in 2023 ............................................................................................. 22 

IV.2  Bilateral and multilateral enforcement of trade commitments: resolving disputes .......... 28 

IV.3  The Single Entry Point ............................................................................................................ 30 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
I. 

Introduction 

I.1 

Executive summary1 

This  report  brings  into  sharp  focus  the  value  of  the  EU’s  strong  network  of  trade 
agreements. At the end of 2023 the EU had 42 preferential trade agreements in place with 74 
partners2,  covering  EUR 2.3  trillion  or  45.8%  of  total  EU  external  trade.  The  agreements 
continue  to  open  markets  for  EU  business,  in  particular  the  680  000  exporting  small  and 
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), helping them to connect to growth markets while relying 
on a stable and more predictable set of rules.  

EU trade agreements support prosperity and growth, helping EU companies to compete 
with  the  rapid  rise  of  other  third  countries.  For  example,  the  EU’s  share  in  imports  of  the 
Asia4 (i.e. free trade agreement (FTA) partners Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Singapore) 
has remained stable at some 9%-10% between 2008 and 2022. By contrast, the EU’s share in 
the imports of non-EU-FTA countries in the region has seen a decline from 9.6% in 2008 to 
6.5% in 2022. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the EU was able to preserve its share of around 20% in 
the total imports of Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) partners over the past 10 years 
(i.e. since the EPAs entered into force). By contrast,  the EU’s share  in  imports of non-EPA 
countries  has  declined  by  3%  over  the  same  period,  leaving  the  EU  in  second  place  after 
China. In Latin America, the EU has been losing market share for the past 25 years, but FTAs 
have clearly cushioned that trend. The EU share in imports of FTA partners in the region have 
declined  from  10%  to  8%,  while  a  much  steeper  decline  (i.e.  from  35%  to  18%)  has  been 
experienced with non-FTA partners.  

The four most modern EU trade agreements (other than the one with the United Kingdom3) 
in  place  in  2023  (i.e.  the  ones  with  South  Korea,  Canada,  Japan  and  Vietnam)  have  been 
supporting EU exports year-on-year, with sizeable growth during their life span on goods and 
services overall and high growth rates in some of the top export sectors:   

•  EU goods exports to South Korea have risen at a yearly average of 7% and by 127% 
over  the  whole  period  (2010-2023).  The  agreement  supports  exports  in  top  sectors 
such as vehicles where EU exports grew by 264%. EU services exports have grown by 
200% between 2010 and 2022.   

•  EU goods exports to Canada have risen at a yearly average of 7% and by 64% over 
the whole period (2016-2023). The agreement supports exports in top sectors such as 

1 Data mentioned in this report, except where indicated otherwise, is based on the Commission/DG TRADE’s 
own calculations based on Eurostat and Comtrade. 
2 These  trade  agreements  are  the  39  agreements  contained  in  the  2024  staff  working  document  and  the  trade 
agreements  with  Andorra,  Faroe  Islands  and  San  Marino.  See  map  of  all  EU  trade  agreements: 
https://circabc.europa.eu/rest/download/0e05d6f3 -64f5-4661-ae0c-aefb68094d19  
3 For the EU-UK TCA see in more detail the third implementation report published on 21.3.2024 COM(2024) 
127 final; EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement annual report 2023 - European Commission (europa.eu) 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
aircraft where EU exports grew by more than 100%. EU services exports have grown 
by 62% between 2016 and 2022. 

•  EU goods exports to Japan have risen at a yearly average of 2% and by 11% over the 
whole  period  (2018-2023),  while  agri-food  exports  grew  by  26%.  The  agreement 
supports exports in top sectors such as  electrical machinery, which experienced 28% 
growth. EU services exports have grown by 30% between 2018 and 2022. 

•  EU goods exports to Vietnam have risen at a yearly average of 1% and by 3% over the 
whole  period  (2019-2023),  while  agri-food  exports  grew  by  17%.  The  agreement 
supports  exports  in  top  sectors  such  as  pharmaceuticals,  where  EU  exports  grew  by 
48%. EU services exports have grown by 42% between 2019 and 2022. 

Trade  agreements  can  only  deliver  when  partner  countries  respect  their  commitments.  Four 
years  ago,  at  the  start  of  the  von  der  Leyen  Commission,  a  new  role  of  Chief  Trade 
Enforcement  Officer  (CTEO) 4 was  created  to  ensure  that  effective  implementation  and 
enforcement of international trade commitments remained at the centre of the Commission’s 
efforts.  

The Single  Entry  Point, which provides  a one-stop-shop to  raise concerns about  trade,  has 
received more than 130 external complaints since its launch in November 2020, a total of 28 
in 2023 alone. It has become the central tool for identifying new issues, gathering the requisite 
information and ensuring a follow-up. In December 2023, the Commission published revised 
operating  guidelines5 for  the  Single  Entry  Point,  together  with  simplified  online  complaint 
forms and hands-on guidance on how to fill them out. 

Tangible  results  were  achieved  in  preventing  market  access  barriers  or  getting  them 
removed,  as  the  Commission  continued  to  engage  with  partner  countries,  working  side-by-
side with Member States and EU stakeholders. In 2023, 41 barriers to market access were 
partially or totally eliminated in 28 countries (see in more detail section II.2 B):  

•  For example, progress was made on emblematic sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) 
issues notably on regionalisation (Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia) and in high tech 
sectors relevant to the green transition (wind power in Japan).  

•  Other  more  classical  types  of  obstacles  were  also  tackled  successfully,  such  as 
Argentina’s  longstanding  system  of  non-automatic  licences  and  Colombia’s  charges 
for risk assessments on EU animal and plant products.  

4 Information about the role of the CTEO can be accessed here: https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/enforcement-
and-protection/chief-trade-enforcement-officer_en  
5 Revised operating guidelines for the Single Entry Point: operational_guidelines.pdf (europa.eu)  

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•  Efforts  continued  on  stepping  up  the  EU’s  capacity  to  prevent  barriers,  which 
recently helped to address burdensome standardisation and certification requirements 
in Japan and discriminatory requirements for public procurement in Paraguay. 

The Commission  continued to focus on implementing trade and sustainable development 
(TSD) provisions that have been included in 12 of its trade agreements in place in 2023, with 
18 partner countries. Regular engagement in the institutional TSD committees on the basis of 
joint  priorities  has  produced  real  progress  on  the  ground  as  partner  countries  ratified 
multilateral  conventions,  and  took  steps  to  solidify  their  cooperation  with  civil  society  and 
improve  their  capacity  for  enforcing  labour  and  environmental  standards  (see  concrete 
examples in Section II.2 C below). 

The EU also continued its cooperation with trading partners on topics of common interest, 
supported by the trade agreements and platforms, such as its Green Alliances with Japan, and 
Canada  or  its  Green  Alliance  with  South  Korea  around  climate  change,  energy  and  supply 
chain security. With Canada, good progress was noted in implementing the CETA Trade and 
Gender Recommendation based on a dedicated work plan, with exchanges and events aimed 
at sharing information on policies, laws and best practices on a range of issues, notably on the 
development of gender-relevant standards.  

On  TSD  technical  cooperation,  the  Commission  in  March  2024  published  a  list  of 
cooperation  activities  agreed  with  Peru  to  ensure  that  labour  rights  are  respected  and 
upheld  in  that  country  in  line  with  six  jointly-defined  priorities.  The  cooperation  activities 
will be implemented in the coming years and will be supported by an extensive EU technical 
and financial programme. The EU and Colombia have agreed on priority areas to work on 
with a view to establishing a technical cooperation programme. 

In March 2024, the Single Entry Point received a second formal  TSD complaint concerning 
labour  and environmental rights in Vietnam.  

As the report shows, civil society organisations play an important role  in the implementation 
of trade agreements, in particular trade and sustainability provisions. The domestic advisory 
groups  (DAG),  existing  under  the  12  trade  agreements,  enhance  our  understanding  both  of 
the  situation  on  the  ground  and  of  possible  ways  to  improve  it.  The  fourth  all  EU  DAG 
meeting,  organised  by  the  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  on  18 April 2024, 
brought  together  more  than  200  members  of  EU  DAGs  to  exchange  views  with  senior 
Commission officials and benefit from each other’s practical experience.  

While no new trade disputes were launched by the EU in 2023, the Commission in June 2024 
initiated  a  bilateral  dispute  against  Algeria  over  restrictions  affecting  EU  exports  and 
launched a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute against Taiwan over the latter’s use of 
local content criteria for offshore wind energy projects (DS625, Taiwan – offshore wind). 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Commission has also been active in ensuring effective outcomes for ongoing disputes 
that found in the EU’s favour within the WTO system. For example, where trading partners 
obstruct  the  process  of  adjudication  or  fail  to  implement  panel  reports  the  Commission  is 
ready to use its strengthened autonomous measures to protect European interests.  

• 

In  2023,  the  Commission  took  the  first  step  towards  using  the  Enforcement 
Regulation against Indonesia after the country chose to appeal the panel ruling to the 
non-functioning WTO Appellate Body (‘into the void’) and, in doing so,  obstructing 
due  process  (see  DS592;  Indonesia  –  nickel  ore  export  restrictions).  In  December 
2023,  India  appealed  ‘into  the  void’  the  panel’s  ruling  in  DS582  (India  –  tariffs  on 
ICT  products).  That  ruling  was  in  the  EU’s  favour  as  it  confirmed  the  illegality  of 
India’s tariffs on ICT products.  

•  On  31  May  2024,  the  EU  launched  compliance  proceedings  against  Colombia  in 
DS591 (Colombia-frozen fries) after Colombia failed to comply with the Multi-Party 
Interim  Appeal  Arbitration  Agreement’s  (MPIA’s)  finding  of  December  2022.  The 
findings  were  in  the  Commission’s  favour  and  found  that  Colombia’s  anti-dumping 
measures imposed on frozen fries from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands were 
in breach of WTO rules.  

•  On  28  April  2023,  the  EU  launched  compliance  proceedings  against  the  United 
States  in  DS577  (U.S.-Ripe  olives)  in  view  of  its  failure  to  comply  with  the  WTO 
ruling  of  19  November  2021  in  regard  to  countervailing  duties  on  imports  of  ripe 
olives  from  Spain.  On  19  March  2024  the  WTO’s  Dispute  Settlement  Body  (DSB) 
adopted the WTO compliance panel report, which confirmed the EU’s claim that the 
U.S. has not fully complied with the WTO ruling.  

Trade agreements can only be fully effective if stakeholders are aware of their benefits. The 
Commission  has  therefore  continued  its  efforts  to  promote  the  advantages  of  trade 
agreements, in particular those that entered into force in 2024, namely the EU-New Zealand 
FTA (which is in place since 1 May) and the EU-Kenya EPA (in place since 1 July), but also 
the  modernised  EU-Chile  agreement,  expected  to  enter  into  force  at  the  beginning  of  2025. 
This is being done in close collaboration with Member States and businesses, with a focus on 
SMEs.  The  Commission’s  main  portal  for  trade,  Access2Markets,  remains  at  the  centre  of 
these efforts. The portal has had over eight million visitors since its launch in October 2020 
and more than 11 000 SMEs have been trained to use it. Market Access  Day events held in 
more than  a dozen Member States  have  proved a key  opportunity  for the CTEO and senior 
Commission  officials  to  raise  awareness  on  EU  trade  agreements  and  meet  with  small 
businesses from a variety of regions and sectors.  

Cooperation  with  Member  States  on  implementation  and  enforcement  and  on  ways  to 
improve  joint  work  has  become  a  recurring  topic  for  discussion  at  technical  and  political 
levels. This includes the improvement of working methods for EU Delegations and Member 
States’  trade  counsellors  working  together  abroad,  for  example  when  monitoring  regulatory 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
developments in the host country. The Commission is currently testing new tools to support 
better information flows and ensure that both EU and Member State officials have a clear idea 
of  what  to  expect  from  each  other.  The  Trade  Policy  Committee6 periodically  discusses  the 
state  of  play  of  the  EU’s  implementation  and  enforcement  agenda,  strategies  deployed  and 
priority setting.  

I.2 

Scope of this report 

This  is  the  fourth  consolidated  annual  report7 on  the  implementation  and  enforcement  of 
trade  commitments  covered  by  preferential  bilateral  trade  agreements  and  the  WTO.  It 
provides an overview of the main activities and achievements, steered by the Commission’s 
CTEO in 2023 and the first months of 2024.  

The  accompanying  staff  working  document8 contains  additional  information  completing 
Section II.2 of the report on 39 of the EU’s major preferential bilateral agreements.  

The Commission website9 has information complementary to this report on: (i) the evolution 
of EU trade with preferential partners in 2023; (ii) the use of tariff preferences by EU exports 
and imports per preferential trading partner, both for the EU and Member States; and (iii) the 
fill rates of tariff rate quotas. 

While this report focuses on implementation and enforcement under EU trade agreements, it 
should also  be seen in  a broader context  of economic security and enforcement activities in 
specific areas on which the Commission reports separately, namely:  

• 

the use of trade  defence  instruments (anti-dumping, anti-subsidies and safeguards), 
covered by the Commission’s annual trade defence reports10; 

•  monitoring  and  tackling  of  counterfeiting,  piracy  and  other  infringements  of 
intellectual property rights (IPR), covered by the Commission’s alternating biennial 
publications of the IPR Report11 and the Piracy Watchlist12; 

6 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/council-eu/preparatory-bodies/trade-policy-committee/  
7  The  third  report  was  published  on  15  November  2023  and  is  available  here:  Register  of  Commission 
Documents - COM(2023)740 (europa.eu)  
8 Commission  Staff  Working  Document:  Individual  Information  Sheets  on  the  Implementation  of  EU  Trade 
Agreements; SWD(2024) 386: Contact support (europa.eu)  
9 Commission/DG  TRADE;  implementation  and  enforcement  page:  Implementing  and  enforcing  EU  trade 
agreements - European Commission (europa.eu) 
10 42nd Commission report on trade defence: Register of Commission Documents - COM(2024)413 (europa.eu), 
Register of Commission Documents - SWD(2024)221 (europa.eu) 
11 The last report on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) in third countries was 
published on 17 May 2023 and is available here: https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-releases-its-
report-intellectual-property-rights-third-countries-2023-05-17_en  
12 The  latest  Counterfeit  and  Piracy  Watchlist  was  published  on  1  December  2022  and  is  available  here: 
https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-publishes-latest-counterfeit-and-piracy-watch-list-2022-12-
01_en  

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
• 

the  screening  of  foreign  direct  investments  and  the  control  of  dual  use  exports, 
which  constitute  the  EU’s  strategic  trade  and  investment  controls  for  security,  and 
which are covered by the Commission’s annual reports on FDI screening13 and on the 
Export Control Regulation (EU) 2021/82114;  

• 

the application of the EU  General  Scheme  of  Preferences (GSP) regime15, covered 
by the Commission’s GSP reports. 

In  addition,  separate  annual  reports  are  to  be  prepared  on  the  application  of  the  Foreign 
Subsidies Regulation16 and the International Procurement Instrument17. 

II.  Making full use of the EU’s bilateral trade agreements  

II.1  Trade with preferential partners – main developments in 2023 

EU trade agreements facilitate European trade in goods and services   

At the end of 2023, the EU had in place 42 preferential trade agreements with 74 preferential 
partners, corresponding to 45.8% of total EU external trade. Adding agreements that in 2023 
were yet  to  be adopted or  ratified (3.7%)18, the share of EU preferential  trade would rise to 
almost 50%. 

13 Third Annual Report on the screening of foreign direct investments into the Union and staff working 
document of 19 October 2023: https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-
register/detail?ref=COM(2023)590&lang=en  
14 Statistical update on dual-use export control of 19 October 2023 (SWD(2023) 341 final): 
https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/654251c7-f897-4098-afc3-6eb39477797e/library/d45b2bfc-7029-412a-aa1e-
b59ac87433f8/details  
15 The last report on the application of the GSP Regulation: JOIN(2023) 34;  Register of Commission 
Documents - JOIN(2023)34 (europa.eu)  
16 See OJ L 330 of 23 December 2022, Article 52 (the first report is due in 2026); https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32022R2560  
17  See OJ L 173 of 30 June 2022, Article 13 (first report is due in 2025); https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32022R1031  
18 In  2023,  in  addition  to  the  Mercosur  partners  (Argentina,  Brazil,  Paraguay  and  Uruguay)  these  were:  New 
Zealand,  Kenya,  Benin,  Burkina  Faso,  Burundi,  Cabo  Verde,  The  Gambia,  Guinea,  Guinea-Bissau,  Haiti, 
Kyrgyz  Republic,  Liberia,  Mali,  Mauritania,  Niger,  Nigeria,  Rwanda,  Senegal,  Sierra  Leone,  Tanzania,  Togo, 
https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-country-and-
Uganda 
region/negotiations-and-agreements_en  The  FTA  with  New  Zealand  entered  into  force  on  1  May  2024,  the 
Economic Partnership Agreement with Kenya on 1 July. 

Uzbekistan 

see: 

and 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 1: EU external trade (2023) 

Other partners
50,5%

Trade agreements in 
place - Preferential
45,8%

3.7%

Trade agreements 
under adoption or 
ratification

Source: Eurostat Comext 

The EU’s largest preferential partners remained the United Kingdom (22.1% of EU trade with 
preferential partners), followed by Switzerland (14.1%), Türkiye (8.9%), Norway (7.8%) and 
Japan  (5.8%).  Together,  these  five  partners  accounted  for  close  to  60%  of  EU  preferential 
trade in 2023.  

In 2023, EU total trade in value declined by 9.0% (-16.3% for imports and -0.6% for exports). 
This was due to a combination of factors. First, prices of energy and raw materials, after the 
record-level  recorded in  2022, dropped in 2023. Further, demand for consumer goods had  a 
pullback in the post-pandemic outlook, and investment spending by firms was held back due 
to  tight  financing  conditions.  Finally,  increasing  trade  distortions  and  geoeconomic 
fragmentation impacted on the level of global trade and it  continues to do so. However, EU 
trade  with  preferential  partners  decreased  less  sharply  (-4.5%,  in  value  between  2022  and 
2023) than that with non-preferential partners (-12.5%).   

As shown in figure 2 below, annual trade with preferential partners declined by 4.5% over the 
reporting  period,  less  than  trade  with  all  partners  and  non-FTA  partners,  which  declined  by 
9% and 12.5%, respectively. Exports to preferential partners rose by 1.2%,  while exports to 
all partners and non-FTA partners declined by 0.6% and 2.2%, respectively.  

8 

 
 
 
Figure 2: Annual growth of EU goods trade by type of partner (2022-2023)

All trading partners

Non-FTA partners

Preferential partners
1,2%

-0,6%

-9,0%

-16,3%

Source: Eurostat Comext 

-2,2%

-4,5%

-12,5%

-10,5%

-20,0%

Imports

Exports

Total trade

EU trade agreements contribute to solidifying the EU’s position as number one exporter of 
agri-food products  

The EU’s broad network of trade agreements continues to contribute to the good EU agri-food 
export performance.   

Between  2022  and  2023,  agri-food  exports  to  preferential  partners  rose  by  2.3%,  while 
exports of EU agricultural food products to non-FTA partners decreased by 3.5%.  

The United Kingdom remained by far the number one destination for EU agri-food exports 
among preferential partners as well as overall, representing over one fifth (22%) of total EU 
exports. For the second year in a row, in 2023 the United Kingdom was also the destination 
where EU exports experienced the strongest growth in absolute terms (i.e. +EUR 3.4 billion 
by value, or +7%), whereas the largest increase in relative terms was registered for Ukraine 
(+18%) and Türkiye (+16%). The United States remained the number two export destination 
for EU agri-food products overall (12%), after the United Kingdom, followed by China (6%) 
and Switzerland (5%).  

EU  agri-food  exports  to  Canada  rose  by  EUR  1.3  billion  (+40%)  between  2017  and  2023, 
exports to Japan by EUR 1.6 billion (+25%) since 2019, and to Vietnam by over 300 million 
(+33%) since 2020.   

Positive developments  can also  be observed on the  import  side. EU agri-food imports from 
the United Kingdom (number one source market) have recovered as UK traders have become 
accustomed  to  the  plant and  animal  health  (SPS)  checks  and  inspections  applied  by  the  EU 
including on agri-food consignments since January 2021. Ukraine reconfirmed its position as 
the  third  largest  source  of  EU  agri-food  imports  and  the  second  largest  among  preferential 
partners  (with  7%  of  imports),  although  the  import  value  declined  by  10.3%  compared  to 
2022, mainly because of the decline in cereals and oilseeds prices.  

9 

 
 
 
 
 
In  2023,  the  Commission  again  monitored  imports  into  the  EU  of  certain  industrial 
products and agri-food products 

The Commission, as required by Regulation (EU) No 511/201112, monitored South Korea’s 
imports of core car parts and electronics from its most important suppliers outside the EU. 
South  Korea’s  imports  of  two  core  car  parts  significantly  increased  in  2023  compared  to 
2022,  namely  those  of  gasoline  combustion  engines  (+225.1%,  mainly  from  Mexico),  and 
lithium-ion  batteries (+48.6%, mainly from China).  However, no  link could  be established 
between the allowance of duty drawback under the EU – South Korea FTA and the increase 
in EU imports of combustion gasoline cars (by 10%) and electric cars (by 75%) from South 
Korea. Chinese  lithium-ion  batteries  enter  South  Korea  duty-free  under  the  China  –  South 
Korea FTA.  

Imports into the EU of fresh bananas from Colombia, Ecuador and Peru and from Central 
America  were  also  monitored  by  the  Commission,  as  required  by  EU  Regulations  No 
19/201313 and No 20/201314. In 2023, EU imports of fresh bananas from Colombia and Peru 
declined by 2.4%, and by 0.2% respectively, while imports from Ecuador increased by 11.3% 
compared  to  2022.  The  Commission  will  continue  to  carry  out  its  regular  analysis  of  the 
state of the market and of the EU banana producers and, if need be, examine the situation 
together with Member States and stakeholders. 

Trade  in  services  increased  and  the  EU  maintained  a  surplus  with  both  preferential 
partners and the rest of the world 

EU services  trade with  preferential  partners reached EUR 1.2 trillion  in  2022 (latest figures 
available), representing 48% of total EU services trade (EUR 2.5 trillion). EU services trade 
with  preferential  partners  increased  faster  between  2021  and  2022  than  with  non-FTA 
partners (+27% versus +20%). The EU’s total trade balance in services increased in 2022 by 
EUR 65 billion when compared to 2021, EUR 52 billion thereof in trading with preferential 
partners.   

At the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi on 27 February 2024, the entry into 
force  of  the  new  Services  Domestic  Regulation 19  was  announced.  This  regulation  was 
negotiated at the WTO in a plurilateral setting, with the EU at its forefront. The new rules will 
facilitate and simplify services trade by streamlining authorisation requirements and reducing 
procedural  hurdles  faced  by  businesses  around  the  globe,  in  particular  by  micro,  small  and 
medium-sized  enterprises.  They  will  be  applied  by  a  large  and  diverse  group  of  about  70 
WTO Members, representing 92% of world trade in services. The agreement will help reduce 
the costs of global services trade by more than EUR 120 billion every year.   

Trade agreements improve access to procurement  

Trade  agreements  between  the  EU  and  the  following  partners  have  binding  provisions  on 
public procurement:  Canada,  the Caribbean Forum  (CARIFORUM), Chile, Colombia, Peru, 
Ecuador,  Central  American  countries,  South  Korea,  Georgia,  Moldova,  Ukraine,  Japan, 

19 https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/serv_e/jsdomreg_e.htm  

10 

 
 
  
 
  
 
Switzerland, Singapore, Mexico, New Zealand, Vietnam and the United Kingdom.  EU trade 
agreements’ chapters on public procurement ensure secured access of EU bidders, goods and 
services  (including  works  services)  to  third  country  (i.e.  non-EU)  markets  on  a  non-
discriminatory basis. Some concrete examples include Colombia, where EU companies were 
among  the  companies  benefiting  from  a  total  contract  value  of  EUR  16.2  billion  between 
2019 and 2022, or Japan, where EU companies increased their market share of total contract 
value awarded to foreign bidders from 34% to 43% between 2019 (date of the entry into force 
of the agreement) and 2020.  

The  Commission  continues  to  monitor  the  correct  implementation  of  procurement 
commitments  by  trading  partners  within  the  annual  specialised  committees  for  government 
procurement.  For  example,  the  Commission  is  pushing  for  effective  implementation  of  a 
single portal point of access with simultaneous publications in English and Japanese in Japan. 
With South  Korea, the  Commission  is  continuing discussions on the effective access  of EU 
operators to contracts for high-speed railway.  

The  International  Procurement  Instrument,  in  force  since  29 August 2022,  is  aimed  at 
opening  third-country  markets  by  removing  the  barriers  faced  by  EU  industry  in  public 
procurement  procedures  abroad.  It  allows,  as  a  last  resort,  after  an  investigative  stage,  to 
restrict access to the EU’s procurement markets of suppliers from countries where access to 
their procurement is hindered. As a result of these efforts, on 24 April 2024, the Commission 
opened  the  first  IPI  investigation  (ex  officio),  which  will  address  alleged  barriers  in  the 
Chinese  procurement  market  for  medical  devices20.  The  first  aim  of  the  investigation  is  to 
foster  dialogue  between  competent  authorities  on  removing  discrimination  in  public 
procurement.  

The  Commission  continues  to  promote  transparency  on  procurement  opportunities, 
notably  for  the  benefit  of  SMEs,  including  by  insisting  that  trading  partners  put  in  place 
single  portals  where  potential  bidders  can  easily  find  all  the  necessary  tender  information. 
Work is also under way to increase awareness of existing commitments by the EU’s trading 
partners 
the 
Access2Procurement tool (further details provided in Section III below). 

the  area  of  government  procurement, 

in  particular 

through 

in 

II.2  Advancing the implementation of EU bilateral trade agreements 

This sub-section provides examples of how the Commission promotes and implements the 
commitments under bilateral trade agreements.  

A.  Communicating and promoting the benefits  

From its headquarters in Brussels and locally in the countries concerned, the Commission has 
worked intensively with  Member States and stakeholders to prepare the ground for  new EU 

20 See https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:C_202402973; OJ C/2024/2973. 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
trade agreements with New  Zealand and Kenya  and the modernised agreement with  Chile. 
The  dissemination  and  outreach  efforts  include  the  publication  of  communication  materials, 
such as factsheets, press material, frequently asked questions and social media posts, as well 
as  civil  society  dialogue  meetings  and  specialised  guidance  on  particular  aspects  of  the 
agreement.  The  Market  Access  Days  that  were  organised  in  15  Member  States  so  far  were 
used  to  communicate  with  respect  to  these  agreements.  EU  Delegations21 also  played  a  key 
role  in  supporting  this  effort,  as  so  did  European  networks  such  as  the  Enterprise  Europe 
Network (EEN)22.  

How the EU is raising awareness of new trade agreements 

•  EU-  New  Zealand  FTA – entered  into  force  on  1 May  2024. See comprehensive 

SME guide + 10 thematic and sectoral leaflets23.  

•  EU-Kenya  EPA  –  entered  into  force  on  1 July  2024.  Ongoing: EPA sensitisation 
workshops across Kenya organised with the Kenyan Ministry for Trade, dedicated to 
the  private  sector  in  Nairobi  and  Mombasa;  dialogues  between  Team  Europe24,  the 
EU private sector and the Kenyan government on business and investment climate.  

•  Modernised  trade  agreement  between  the  EU  and  Chile  -  entry  into  force 
expected in Q1-2025. Events are planned on the trade and sustainability development 
(TSD)  review  to  encourage  a  dialogue  between  all  relevant  governmental  and  non-
governmental  actors, including on energy and raw materials. Discussions will cover 
how  to  implement  the  provisions  of  the  EU-Chile  FTA  and  the  Memorandum  of 
Understanding  of  July  2023,  including  outreach  by  Member  States  to  possible 
investors in the sector.  

B.   Implementing market access commitments  

Preventing and removing trade barriers in partner countries, using the bilateral structures 

Tackling irritants or barriers to trade and investment at the source (e.g. before they become 
enshrined in laws and regulations) increases our chances to prevent or mitigate negative 
effects on European business.  

•  The  monitoring  of  potentially  problematic  initiatives  is  greatly  facilitated  by  the 
institutional structures established by bilateral agreements. Such a structure helped the 
EU Delegation in Colombia (Bogota) to successfully raise at the Technical Barriers to 
Trade  (TBT)  subcommittee  under  the  FTA  a  potentially  problematic  executive 

21 The Commission/DG TRADE has more than 200 staff in EU Delegations worldwide and runs dedicated trade 
sections in more than 40 countries.  
22 Information on the EEN is available here: https://een.ec.europa.eu/  
23 EU-New Zealand (europa.eu) 
24 https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/policies/team-europe-initiatives_en  

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
measure  on  good  manufacturing  practices  (GMP)  for  alcoholic  drinks.  Once  the 
Colombian  decree  removing  the  GMP  certificates  requirement  is  approved,  it  will 
remove  an  administrative  burden  affecting  EU  exports  for  a  value  of  more  than 
EUR 90 million in 2023. 

•  Monitoring  relevant  regulatory  and  policy  developments  in  the  host  country 
(‘regulatory  watch’)  is  key  for  EU  Delegations  to  identify  potentially  harmful 
developments.  For  example,  the  EU  Delegation  in  Japan  (Tokyo)  working  with  EU 
businesses  was  able  to  address  burdensome  standardisation  and  certification 
requirements  related  to  the  bottom-fixed  offshore  wind  sector  in  Japan.  The  revised 
Electricity Business Act and guidance released in March 2023 provide for a reduction 
in market access costs and a faster approval process, thus removing a major barrier for 
EU  businesses.  The  award  of  some  offshore  wind  projects  to  consortia  with  EU 
industry participation reflects the improvement of tendering guidelines, on which the 
EU Delegation in Tokyo engaged with Japan.  

•  Discriminatory  requirements  favouring  bidders  from  Paraguay,  Brazil  and  Argentina 
threatened to affect EU companies participating in public tenders for water treatment 
products  in  Paraguay.  Thanks  to  coordinated  action  by  the  EU  Delegation  and 
Member States engaging with the relevant authorities, Paraguay adjusted the terms of 
references  and  extended  the  time  to  respond,  allowing  all  interested  companies  to 
participate. This outcome is all the more important given that the sector is benefiting 
from EUR 10 million in European investment under the Global Europe initiative.  

A key challenge to the EU’s preventive work lies in mobilising the collective resources of the 
Commission,  Member  States  and  businesses  operating  in  partner  countries  to  access 
information on market access issues and take coordinated action, as needed. The Commission 
and  Member  States  are  therefore  exploring  practical  means  to  facilitate  information  flows 
between EU Delegations and embassies abroad.  

FTA committees again played a key role in getting barriers removed in a variety of sectors 

•  Agriculture  and fisheries  was once again the sector with the most barriers removed 
(i.e. 22 out of a total of 37 barriers removed in 2023). In 2023, progress was made on 
the  regionalisation  front  with  two  partners  in  the  Far  East:  following  intensive 
engagement under the EU-Japan EPA, Japan has advanced on the recognition of EU 
regionalisation  for  highly  pathogenic  avian  influenza.  This  means  that  a  problem  in 
one region of a Member State or one part of the  EU will not lead to the blockage of 
trade for poultry products from disease-free areas, in line with the rules determined by 
EU  legislation.  South  Korea  started  updating  bilateral  certificates  including  the 
agreed  regionalisation  conditions  and  is  listing  the  establishments  for  approval  to 
export pork meat. In August 2023, the first shipments of pork products from Germany 
to Korea began, followed by Ireland and France in 2024, acknowledging the high level 
of safety ensured by the EU's harmonised food safety control measures.  

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
•  The European pharmaceutical  sector, which has been suffering from discrimination 
in  Vietnam,  a  EUR 1.5  billion  export  market,  remains  in  the  focus  of  EU  action  to 
facilitate  market  access  for  European  business.  At  the  end  of  2022  joint  efforts 
between  the  Commission,  the  EU  Delegation,  business  and  Member  States  led 
Vietnam  to  end  discrimination  between  EU  regulatory  authorities  and  treat  all  EU 
producers the same. Vietnam also extended market authorisation validity until the end 
of 2024 for more than 1 800 imported medicines. At the same time, the Commission is 
continuing its efforts to find a permanent solution. 

• 

In the automotive  sector (accounting for  11% of European exported goods) the EU 
was successful in having Türkiye accept its regulatory standards, after having applied 
legislation discriminating against EU tractors - an export market of EUR 2.5 billion - 
for  several  years.  Tractors  imported  from  the  EU  were  subject  to  more  stringent 
emissions  requirements  than  those  manufactured  in  Türkiye,  putting  them  at  a  price 
disadvantage  compared  to  locally  manufactured  vehicles.  After  addressing  this  issue 
with  Türkiye,  the  latter  aligned  its  legislation  on  all  types  of  vehicles  with  the  EU 
legislation.  

•  Meanwhile, through further alignment of the Turkish cosmetics legislation with that 
of  the  EU  (EU  list  of  prohibited  substances),  the  discriminatory  treatment  of  EU 
cosmetics, which account for exports worth EUR 2.2 billion per year, has come to an 
end. 

Trade agreements as a stepping stone towards cooperation in areas of mutual interest 

The  EU  and  South  Korea  substantially  stepped  up  their  exchanges  on  environmental  and 
climate matters under the EU-funded Green Partnership with South Korea launched in May 
2023.  Cooperation  also  progressed  on  sanitary  and  phytosanitary  (SPS)  measures:  the 
Commission  (DG  TRADE  and  DG  SANTE)  and  the  South  Korean  Ministry  of  Food  and 
Drug  Safety  signed  an  Administrative  Arrangement  on  cooperation  on  electronic  SPS 
certification  and  on  SPS  certificates  for  exports  from  the  EU,  which  will  further  facilitate 
trade in several processed agri-food products. 

Cooperation  with  Canada  under  the  CETA  Agreement  through  the  EU-Canada  Strategic 
Partnership on Critical Raw Materials is contributing to integrate EU-Canada raw material 
value chains, with Canadian investments taking place in the EU and European investments in 
Canada.  The  Strategic  Partnership  provides  opportunities  for  collaboration  on  research  and 
innovation and for international collaboration on environmental, social and governance (ESG) 
standards and multilateral  initiatives. In July  2024, Canada became associated to  Pillar II of 
Horizon Europe25. 

25 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_24_3626  

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
In  2023,  the  EU  and  the  Andean  partner  countries  Colombia,  Ecuador  and  Peru, 
continued  their  work  to  improve  the  implementation  of  the  Agreement,  including  through 
cooperation supported by EU projects and seminars, in particular the  IP Key Latin America 
project in the area of intellectual property.   

In  2023,  the  EU,  Ghana,  Côte  d’Ivoire  and  Cameroon  continued  their  discussions  on 
sustainability issues- especially on cocoa, which is a key commodity in mutual trade relations 
– in the context of the respective EPA Committees. Active cooperation continued also within 
the Sustainable Cocoa initiative multi-stakeholder dialogue.  

C.  Trade and sustainable development in focus 

In  2023,  the  Commission  continued  to  address  the  findings  of  its  review  of  trade  and 
sustainable  development  (TSD)  policy 26 .  The  review  has  provided  fresh  impetus  to  the 
implementation of TSD commitments under EU trade agreements. 

The  Commission  began  preparing  country-specific  priorities  covering  labour,  gender, 
environment,  climate  and  civil  society  issues  with  the  close  involvement  of  EU  domestic 
advisory groups (DAGs) set up under those agreements. These country-specific priorities are 
feeding into the development of detailed country papers on TSD that map priorities, as well as 
related EU and Member States cooperation and capacity building projects.  

Following the submission to the Commission’s Single Entry Point on 17 May 2022 of the first 
first TSD complaint by an NGO on labour rights in the mining sector in Peru and Colombia, 
bilateral  dialogues  with  Peru  and  Colombia  in  2023  allowed  to  identify  issues  in  the 
implementation of their respective labour laws, including with Colombia to hold discussions 
on the progress on its domestic labour reform. On TSD cooperation with Peru, in March 2024 
a  list  of  technical  cooperation  activities  was  published,  notably  on  freedom  of  association, 
child  labour,  forced  labour,  the  fight  against  informality,  and  notably  in  strengthening  the 
labour inspection system. The activities are expected to be implemented in the course of the 
following years supported by extensive EU programmes.  

This  positive  outcome  demonstrates  the  important  role  of  civil  society  in  alerting  and 
monitoring the respect of TSD provisions in third countries.  

In  March  2024,  the  Single  Entry  Point  received  a  second  formal  complaint  concerning  the 
TSD Chapter in the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, which is currently under review.  

TSD  Joint  Committees  were  again  the  main  vehicle  for  advancing  the  implementation  of 
TSD chapters in EU trade agreements. Concrete progress was achieved in 2023 on ratification 
and implementation of core conventions on labour rights and the environment, leading partner 
countries to upgrade their respective domestic frameworks: 

26 For a summary of the main conclusions of the TSD review see also the 2022 annual report on implementation 
and enforcement: Register of Commission Documents - COM(2022)730 (europa.eu). 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•  For  Japan,  the  ILO  convention  C105  on  the  abolition  of  forced  labour  entered  into 
force  in  July  2023.  For  Panama,  ILO  conventions  C129  on  labour  inspection 
(agriculture) and C190 on violence and harassment entered into force in March 2023.  
Canada ratified ILO convention C190 (Violence and Harassment Convention) on 30 
January 2023. 

• 

In  addition,  bilateral  discussions  led  to  certain  countries  upholding  their  TSD 
commitments  and  therefore  improving  their  domestic  frameworks  for  labour.  For 
example,  Ecuador  in  December  2023  registered  the  first  trade  union  for  a  sectoral 
branch in the banana sector. Their domestic legal framework will need to be adjusted 
accordingly.  

•  Georgia  and  Moldova  made  progress  in  upgrading  their  domestic  systems  for 
labour  and  environment.  Georgia  continued  strengthening  the  labour  inspections 
system  through  new  recruitments,  training  and  capacity  building  and  ratified  the 
amendment  of 
reduction  of 
hydrofluorocarbons).  Moldova  took  steps  to  reform  and  strengthen  the  State  Labour 
Inspectorate,  giving  it  the  right  to  conduct  unannounced  visits  in  certain  cases. 
Following in-depth discussions in the TSD committee, Moldova also recently adopted 
legislation on fluorinated greenhouse gases. 

the  Montreal  protocol 

the  gradual 

(on 

As in previous years, the Commission used TSD committees within EU trade agreements to 
engage partners on key substantial elements of the TSD review and enhance cooperation on 
environmental and climate matters via dedicated policy dialogues and green alliances. For 
example: 

•  Cooperation has been advancing between the EU and Canada as part of their Green 

Alliance aimed at accelerating cooperation on innovative technologies. 

•  Cooperation  between  the  EU  and  South  Korea  continued  through  their  Green 
Partnership  launched  in  May  2023,  covering  trade-related  issues  such  as  offshore 
wind, decarbonisation of shipping industry, circular economy and the Carbon Border 
Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).  

•  The Commission has also been advancing cooperation with Singapore on technologies 

to support the green transition.  

•  Cooperation  with  Japan  on  rules  for  offshore  wind  power 27  helped  support  the 
environmental  and  climate  agenda  under  the  TSD  chapter,  promoting  the  energy 
transition.  

The structures created under the TSD chapters are also the main forums to increase partners’ 
understanding  of  recently  enacted  or  proposed  EU  legislation  on  sustainability.  For 
example,  following  the  latest  TSD  committee  with  Andean  countries,  the  Commission 

27 See also Section B above.  

16 

 
 
 
immediately  organised  two  follow-up  meetings  with  EU  deforestation  experts  to  address 
detailed technical points concerning the Andean countries. 

The EU continues to fund technical cooperation supporting sustainability objectives  

In 2023, in addition to cooperation projects in Central America28 and South East Asia (e.g. 
Phase  2  of  the  Trade  for  Decent  Work  project  ,  with  a  budget  of  EUR  4  million  for  2024-
2027,  which  continues  supporting  the  improvement  of  the  implementation  of  labour 
standards,  in  among  others  Vietnam,  the  EU  continued  to  finance  the  Responsible  Business 
Conduct  for  green,  digital  and  resilient  supply  chains  in  Asia  initiative  promoting 
convergence and alignment in Asian markets of responsible business conduct practices in line 
with  internationally-agreed  principles  set  out  in  the  OECD’s  Responsible  Business  Conduct 
standards.  

Working with Domestic Advisory Groups  

Contributions  by  both  European  and  partner-country  DAGs,  who  monitor  the  situation  on 
the  ground  in  partner  countries,  reinforce  the  Commission’s  position  when  following  up  on 
TSD commitments as the following examples show:  

Examples of Domestic Advisory Groups’ contributions:  

• 

• 

In  Ecuador,  reports  by  civil  society  representatives  about  difficulties  to  register  a 
trade union in the banana sector were taken up by the Commission (see Section II.2 
C above).  

In  Vietnam,  EU  civil  society  organisations  drew  the  Commission’s  attention  to  the 
plight  of  Vietnamese  civil  society  organisations  who  were  not  recognised  as  full 
actors  in  the  monitoring  of  the  implementation  of  the  TSD  commitments,  putting 
some  environmental  activists  or  union  representatives  at  risk  of  human  rights 
violations.  The  EU  continues  to  follow-up  on  these  issues,  including  as  part  of  the 
human rights dialogue between the EU and Vietnam. 

•  Thanks to input received from the EU-UK DAG the Commission identified and was 
able to raise with the UK a problem in respect to the latter’s minimum service level 
act, i.e. a regression from pre-Brexit labour standards, affecting the level playing field 
with the EU. 

•  The  EU-Vietnam  DAG  provided  information  to  the  EU  so  that  it  could  raise  the 

issue of wildlife trafficking of tigers.  

• 

Information supplied by the EU-Canada DAG helped to boost the EU-Canada joint 
workplan on TSD and to prioritise gender29 as a joint topic warranting more in-depth 
exchanges.   

28 https://www.euroclima.org/en/mapas-2021-en  
29 https://www.international.gc.ca/trade-commerce/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/ceta-
aecg/CETA_work_plan-AECG_plan_travail-2020-2021.aspx?lang=eng  

17 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In  2023,  the  Commission  secured  ongoing  financial  support  for  the  work  of  the  DAGs: 
the EUR 3 million project contracted  by the Commission in 2018 to support civil society in 
the framework of trade agreements has been extended to the end of 2024 and is in the process 
of being extended further until end-2026. 

D.  Retrospective evaluations of trade agreements to inform implementation work30 

The evaluation of the EU’s FTA with Central  America was published in June 2023. In line 
with  the  recommendations,  discussions  between  parties  continue  to  be  held  on  economic 
issues  (bilateral  trade,  market  access),  social  policies  (for  example  labour  rights)  and  the 
environment (for example environmental protection and the Deforestation Regulation).  

The Commission’s evaluation of the EU’s FTAs with the Andean  partners was published in 
October  2023.  Based  on  its  conclusions,  the  EU  will  consider  the  possibility  of  a  targeted 
update of the agreement  in  line with  its trade policy objectives, particularly those related to 
sustainable development.  

In 2023, the Commission also launched a qualitative evaluation of the impact of free trade 
agreements on environmental key factors, including climate. This is the first cross-cutting 
evaluation covering all 12 FTAs including provisions on TSD that were in place in 2023. The 
final report is expected in November 2024.  

Also in 2024, the Commission launched evaluations of its trade agreements with Canada and 
Japan.  

E.  Mutual recognition agreements on conformity assessment 

Market  access  is  also  facilitated  through  mutual  recognition  agreements  (MRAs)  on 
conformity  assessment.  These  bilateral  agreements  promote  trade  in  goods  between  the  EU 
and third countries, and benefit industry by providing easier access to conformity assessment. 
Building on the positive effects of MRAs as a trade facilitation tool, in 2023 the EU continued 
to  implement  the  MRAs  that  it  had  concluded  with  Australia,  Canada,  Israel,  Japan,  New 
Zealand, Switzerland and the United States.  

In May 2023, the EU and the United States updated their MRA on marine equipment to 
reflect  the  latest  regulatory  and  technological  changes  in  this  area.  The  EU  and  the  United 
States  also  expanded  the  EU-US  MRA  annex  on  good  manufacturing  practices  for 
pharmaceuticals to include veterinary medicines, allowing veterinary products manufactured 
in the EU to be exported and marketed in the United States without the need for inspection of 
EU manufacturers by the US, and vice versa. 

30 https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/analysis-and-assessment/ex-post-evaluations_en  

18 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
III.  Helping small and medium-sized enterprises to find their 

place in global trade  

SMEs continue to be a focus of the Commission’s implementation and enforcement activities, 
so  that  they  can  reap  the  benefits  of  EU  trade  agreements.  This  section  outlines  the  main 
activities carried out in 2023 to achieve that objective. 

A.  Upgrading & promoting Access2Markets  

The  Access2Markets  platform,  which  provides  free,  multilingual  information,  which  is 
particularly helpful for SMEs, has continued to be upgraded in 2023. It ensures that European 
enterprises  are  well-equipped  to  navigate  the  complexities  of  international  trade  with  even 
greater efficiency and ease. 

•  The  Rules  of  Origin  Self-Assessment  tool  (ROSA31)  allows  companies  to  assess 
whether their products meet the conditions to benefit from preferential treatment under 
an EU trade agreement. The tool covers 31 agreements including those with Canada, 
the  United  Kingdom  and  Japan  as  well  as  the  conditions  under  the  Generalised 
Scheme  of  Preferences.  Over  14  000  assessments  on  average  are  carried  out  each 
month. 

•  My Trade Assistant for Services and Investment is an online tool launched in 2022, 
which  provides  practical  information  about  the  requirements  that  EU  services 
suppliers need to fulfil when exporting outside the EU. It is consulted 2000 times on 
average each month. Following an extension in 2023, the tool now covers more than 
100  services  sectors,  such  as  business  and  professional  services,  financial  services, 
telecom services, and transport services in four countries: Canada, Japan, Switzerland 
and the United Kingdom.   

•  Access2Procurement  helps  EU  business  establish  whether  a  specific  public 
procurement tender is covered by one of the EU’s bilateral trade agreements. In 2023, 
the tool was consulted more than 480 times per month as it was expanded to include 
the  United  States,  in  addition  to  Canada  and  Japan.  The  United  Kingdom  will  be 
added to the database in 2024.  

•  Access2Conformity, added in 2023, helps EU exporters identify where in the EU they 
can get their products conformity tested and certified when exporting to third countries 
with  whom  the  EU  has  concluded  an  MRA.  The  tool  currently  covers  Australia, 
Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United States and Switzerland. 

31 How to use the Rules of Origin Self-Assessment tool (ROSA) | Access2Markets (europa.eu) 

19 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
B.  Helping SMEs to get the most from international trade agreements  

An important  objective  of EU trade agreements  is  to  help  EU SMEs  to  grow their  business 
with and in foreign markets. In addition to the SME-specific chapter present in all recent trade 
agreements, throughout 2023 the Commission continued to build awareness about the benefits 
of EU agreements, in close cooperation with Member States and stakeholders. 

Market  Access  Days  (MADs) in  2023 took  place in  nine Member States (Sweden, France, 
Croatia,  Czechia,  Italy,  Finland,  Estonia,  Spain  and  Greece)  and  helped  increase  awareness 
among businesses at national and local levels. MADs have seen strong participation from the 
private sector with an average of 120 participants (in person and online combined) and have 
provided the Chief Trade Enforcement Officer with the opportunity to engage with businesses 
and  business  associations,  including  SMEs,  in  a  variety  of  sectors  such  as  agri-food,  the 
automotive industry, medical devices, information and communication technology, ceramics 
and the textile industry.   

To support its outreach to SMEs, the Commission/DG TRADE stepped up its training of key 
multipliers at European and national levels, such as trade promotion organisations, European 
business organisations and associations including SME United or EuroChambres, for them to 
provide  practical  guidance  to  SMEs  on  using  EU  trade  agreements.  Examples  include  the 
Export  Management  Masterclass  organised  by  Trade  Promotion  Europe  and  meetings  with 
national  associations,  including  the  Confederation  of  Swedish  Enterprises  SME  committee 
and the French Confédération des petites et moyennes entreprises.  

The EU’s dedicated SME centres in Tokyo (EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation32) 
and Beijing (EU-China SME Centre33) helped EU SMEs to navigate markets in Asia and the 
Far  East,  through  organising  training,  business  missions,  B2B  events  and  issuing  market 
access reports and delivering technical assistance to companies.  The Japan Centre also raises 
awareness  on  the  benefits  and  opportunities  created  by  the  EU-Japan  EPA  for  the  SMEs 
through 23 webinars on doing business in Japan, with 730 participants34. The EU-China SME 
Centre’s  team  of  experts  provides  free  services  including  on  business  development,  legal 
information, standards, human resources and training, hot desking, any other practical, hands-
on  support  for  SMEs  through  34  training  sessions/webinars  in  China  and  the  EU  for  over 
2 000 EU SMEs, among other events. 

32 https://www.eu-japan.eu/  
33 https://www.eusmecentre.org.cn/  
34 Success stories of European companies entering the Japanese market can be found here: https://www.eu-
japan.eu/eubusinessinjapan/tags/case-study  

20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Helping  EU  SMEs  navigate  the  EU  trade  agreements  and  access  third  country  markets 
remains one of the key priorities of the EU-financed Enterprise Europe Network35 (EEN). 

•  EEN  advisors  with  the  help  of  the  Commission/DG  TRADE  continued  building  up 
their capacity to support clients in accessing the benefits of EU trade agreements. EEN 
business advisers are in daily contact with SMEs looking for growth opportunities in 
third  country  markets.  87  of  them  received  training  in  September  2023  covering  the 
state of play of the EU trade agreements and an update on Access2Markets.  

•  Over the reporting period, EEN hosted four ‘FTA regulars’ tables’, bringing together 
more  than  150  EEN  business  advisers  and  trade  experts  for  hands-on  exchanges  on 
concrete cases involving European SMEs.  

• 

In  2024,  the  EEN  launched  a  series  of  webinars  on  Embracing  global  markets, 
offering SMEs key market intelligence and information on regulatory requirements to 
help them expand in fast growing markets in Asia, Africa and the Americas.  

•  The Commission supports the effort and shared its expertise on MRAs on conformity 

assessment.  

Concrete results of the work by EEN business advisers and examples of how they helped 
European SMEs to seize trade opportunities linked to FTAs are available on the EEN 
website36. 

In 2023, the EU also continued its engagement at multilateral level. Efforts were directed in 
particular  at  converting  the  Global  Trade  Helpdesk37 into  a  comprehensive  and  more  user-
friendly  platform  for  micro  and  SMEs  (MSMEs).  The  EU  also  made  major  strides  on  best 
practices work, which led to the launch of two compendia (on access to finance by women-led 
MSMEs 38  and  on  special  provisions  for  MSMEs  in  Authorised  Economic  Operator 
Programmes39) launched at the WTO MC13 in February 2024.  

35 Information on the EEN is available here: https://een.ec.europa.eu/.  The network, co-financed by the EU 
COSME programme, is active in more than 60 countries and brings together 3 000 experts from 600 member 
organisations. Its objective is to help small and medium-sized businesses in their international activities.  
36 Success stories | Enterprise Europe Network (europa.eu) 
37 Global Trade Helpdesk 
38 directdoc.aspx (wto.org) 
39 directdoc.aspx (wto.org) 

21 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
IV.  Addressing barriers and finding solutions  

IV.1  State of play and trends in 2023   

In  2023,  the  global  trade  landscape  was  increasingly  influenced  by  a  mix  of  ongoing 
geopolitical tensions, economic fluctuations and shifts in trade policies. The dynamic of trade 
was further complicated by a contraction in global trade volumes, reflecting a cautious and, in 
some cases, pessimistic outlook from both developed and developing economies.  The recent 
crises over the last few years – notably the Covid-19 pandemic and its consequences, Russia’s 
war  of  aggression  against  Ukraine,  and  the  latest  developments  in  the  Middle  East  have 
disrupted global supply chains and added more strains on international trade relations. At the 
same  time,  the  digital  transformation  has  been  accelerating,  affecting  trade  in  goods  and 
services  differently,  while  the  economic  impact  of  energy  price  hikes  and  the  inflation  that 
followed continued to be felt. 

At  the  same  time,  trade  barriers  restricting  imports  have  been  on  the  rise.  Import 
restrictions,  local  content  requirements  and  discriminatory  practices,  and  more  generally 
measures directed at import substitution (e.g. non-automatic licences on a variety of imports), 
in particular in the Southern Neighbourhood, are becoming the industrial policy instrument of 
choice for some of our partners.  

Among  new  barriers,  export  restrictions  (following  on  from  the  pandemic,  affecting  food, 
fertilisers  but  also  a  number  of  important  raw  materials)  continue  to  outnumber  import 
restrictions. EU businesses are also facing export restrictive measures targeting (critical) raw 
materials to create policy space for industrial development and processing, notably in partner 
countries in Southeast Asia (e.g. Indonesia’s export ban on nickel ore) or Sub-Saharan Africa 
(e.g.  Ghana,  Tanzania  or  more  recently  the  export  ban  of  lithium  from  Namibia  and 
Zimbabwe).  

In  2023,  a  total  of  16  new  barriers  were  registered,  the  leading  categories  being 
administrative measures and tariff barriers (four respectively), while three new barriers related 
to TBT and SPS, respectively.  

2023  again  highlighted  the  importance  of  addressing  and  navigating  trade  barriers  and 
protectionist  measures,  which  remained  a  significant  concern.  Countries  and  trade  blocs 
grappled with finding the balance between protecting domestic industries and fostering a free 
and fair-trading system.  

22 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A. Stock of registered trade & investment barriers as of 31 December 2023  

By  the  end  of  2023,  423  active  market  access  barriers 40  were  registered  in  the 
Commission’s Access2Markets database in 62 third countries, i.e. 25 fewer barriers than the 
year before, when 448 were registered. This is a result of a dual approach: actively combating 
existing  barriers  and  undertaking  an  internal  review  to  eliminate  outdated  obstacles  that  no 
longer pose a challenge to EU exporters.  

Figure  3  below  shows  the  percentage  of  barriers  registered  at  the  end  of  2023  per  type  of 
agreement. Preferential trade partners, in particular those with a second-generation agreement, 
had fewer registered barriers than other trade partners and the number of longstanding barriers 
was also lower.  

Figure 3: Percentage of barriers registered as per type of agreement  

1%

8%

4%

31%

56%

FTAs 1st generation

FTAs 2nd generation

DCFTAs

EPAs

Non-preferential

Looking  at  the  geographical  spread  of  barriers  in  2023,  the  highest  number  were  still 
registered in China (33), Russia and India (32 each), followed by the United States (23) and 
Brazil (19). This mirrors the situation in 2022, except that Brazil overtook Indonesia (17). In 
addition,  third  countries  with  10  or  more  barriers  included  Türkiye  (17),  South  Korea  (16), 
Australia (15), Mexico (12), Algeria (11), Egypt (11) and Malaysia (10).  

40 At the end of 2022, the number of barriers stood at 448. In 2023, 16 new barriers were registered, while 21 
were fully resolved and 20 were deregistered because they became obsolete, leading to a total stock of 423 
barriers at the end of 2023.  

23 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Looking  at  the  types  of  trade  barriers,  SPS  measures  remained  the  largest  category  (95), 
accounting  for  22%  of  all  barriers.  This  was  followed  by  technical  barriers  to  trade  (TBT) 
measures (78 barriers) and tariff measures and quantitative restrictions or quotas (70 barriers). 
Together,  these  three  categories  of  trade  barriers  accounted  for  57%  of  all  active  barriers. 
2023  did  see,  however,  a  steep  decrease  in  two  categories,  namely  tariffs  and  quantitative 
restrictions  (70  instead  of  79  registered  in  the  year  before)  and  ‘other  measures’41 (28  as 
compared to 37 registered at the end of 2022), and a steady decline in SPS related measures 
since  2021  (95  compared  to  99  in  2022).  The  number  of  export  taxes  and  restrictions  has 
increased (20 compared to 16 in 2022) in comparison. 

Numbers  of  registered  barriers  in  the  remaining  categories  remained  relatively  stable  when 
compared to the end of 2022. 

Figure 4: Types of barriers in 2023  

5%

7%

22%

8%

8%

7%

8%

17%

18%

Sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS)

Technical barriers to trade (TBT)

Tariffs and equivalents and quantitative
restrictions
Administrative procedures

Other measures*

Services & investment

Intellectual property rights (IPR)

Public procurement

Exports taxes and restrictions

B. Developments in trade & investment barriers in 2023  

In  2023,  the  number  of  new  barriers  registered  increased  again  for  the  first  time  since 
2020, although their number remains far below pre-COVID levels.  

Type of measure 
SPS 
TBT 
Tariffs  and  equivalents 
and 
quantitative 
restrictions 
Administrative procedures 
Services & investment 

2020 

2021 

 2022 

2023 

13 
5  
5 

5 
4 

2 
6 
2 

 1 
1 

3 
2 
3 

 0 
0 

3 
3 
4 

 4 
0 

41 Other measures include barriers related to trade defence instruments (TDIs) and to subsidies and measures 
affecting competition. 

24 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other measures42 
IPR 
Public procurement 
Exports 
restrictions 
Grand total 

taxes 

and 

4 
1 
3 
1 

41 

 2 
0 
2 
0 

16 

 0 
2 
0 
0 

10 

 0 
0 
0 
2 

16 

The new types of barriers were administrative procedures and tariffs and equivalents and 
quantitative restrictions (four new registered barriers for each type), followed by technical 
barriers  to  trade  (TBT)  and  sanitary  and  phytosanitary  measures  (SPS)  measures.  In 
2023, the number of new SPS barriers remained at a relatively low level (3), similarly as was 
the case in 2022 (3) and in 2021 (2).  

As  in  previous  years,  most  of  the  new  barriers  concerned  the  agriculture  and  fisheries 
sector. Horizontal barriers which affected several sectors were also on the rise.   

Type of sector  

New barriers  
2022 

New barriers  
2023 

Agriculture and fisheries  
Horizontal  
Wines and spirits  
Other industries  
Automotive 
Pharmaceuticals 
Mining 
Services 
Total  

5 
3 
1 
1 
0 
0 
0 
0 
10 

4 
5 
1 
1 
2 
2 
1 
1 
16 

42 Other measures include barriers related to trade defence instruments (TDIs), and to subsidies and measures 
affecting competition. 

25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 5: Geographical spread of new barriers in 2023 

As in 2022, the Southern Neighbourhood topped the list in terms of new barriers (4), followed 
by Latin America and Africa (3), South  and Southeast  Asia  and  the  Far  East  (2) and North 
America  and  the  European  Neighbourhood  (1). This  is  also  reflected  in  the  number  of 
complaints per region (see figure 5). 

C. Barriers resolved in 2023  

In  2023,  41  barriers  were  removed  in  28  partner  countries.  Different  strategies  and 
instruments were used, including diplomatic engagement and/or using the committees created 
under bilateral trade agreements and the WTO.   

60% of resolved barriers were in the agriculture and fisheries sector. Four of the resolved 
barriers affected products across more than one sector, while three concerned the automotive 
sector. This largely mirrors the situation in 2022.  

26 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 6: Number of barriers resolved per sector (2023) 

Among  resolved  barriers,  SPS  measures  (26)  again  topped  the  list,  with  a  direct  positive 
effect  for  the  European  food  sector.  In  addition  to  progress  on  regionalisation  with  FTA 
partners  Japan  and  South  Korea  (see  Section  II.2  above),  concerted  action  between  the 
Commission,  Member  States  and  the  sectors  concerned  were  the  motor  behind  resolving  a 
number of longstanding and particularly harmful barriers in a number of other third countries.  

•  For  example,  Saudi  Arabia  stopped  a  BSE  (Bovine  spongiform  encephalopathy) 
motivated  ban of  bovine,  ovine  and  caprine  products  from  all  EU  countries  that 
had  lasted  two  decades,  while  China  after  more  than  20  years,  finally  lifted  similar 
restrictions  affecting  beef  from  Belgium  and  Poland.  China  remains  the  world’s 
largest  export  market  for  beef,  specifically  deboned  beef  from  animals  under  30 
months of age.  

•  Indonesia  lifted  excessive  fees  and  taxes  charged  on  EU  imports,  introducing  a 
transparent  and  equitable  fee  structure  for  quarantine  services  aligned  with 
international  standards.  This  directly  benefits  EU  exports  of  agri-food  products  to 
Indonesia  worth  EUR 950  million  a  year.  Exporters  of  agricultural  goods  to 
Colombia,  an  export  market  worth  EUR 737  million  a  year,  benefited  from  the 
abolition  of  excessive  fees  for  risk  assessments  of  EU  animal  and  plant  products, 
which had amounted to up to EUR 3 000 each. 

•  Progress  was  also  made  on  delays  in  treating  market  access  applications  made  by 
individual  Member  States.  After  several  years,  Slovakian  dairy  products  are  now 
welcome  in  South  Korea,  French  baby  kiwis  in  the  United  States,  and  French 

27 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
pigmeat  products  in  Australia.  Often  these  procedures  fail  to  take  into  account  that 
legislation on SPS matters is harmonised at EU level.  

Six  of  the  barriers  removed  were  technical  barriers  to  trade  (TBT),  while  two  concerned 
related tariffs and equivalents and quantitative restrictions.   

•  Restrictive  rules  governing  the  labelling  of  foodstuffs  were  removed  by  Peru. 
Following discussions in the EU-Andean FTA TBT subcommittee, Peru amended its 
legislation to allow the use of adhesive labelling on food products indefinitely. This is 
a big relief for EU exporters to Peru of processed food and non-alcoholic beverages, a 
market worth EUR 140-180 million annually.   

•  Argentina  eliminated  the  system  of  non-automatic  import  licences  -  one  of  the 
longest-standing market access barriers for EU business in Argentina. Member States 
are already reporting that imports are entering the country much more smoothly with 
the new system.  

•  Working  together,  the  European  Commission,  the  Japanese  Government  and  the 
private  sector  succeeded  in  remedying  a  problem  caused  by  additional  requirements 
that  affected  imports  of  veterinary  products,  notably  animal  RFID  (radio  frequency 
identification device) readers.  

When  tackling  barriers,  the  Commission  cooperates  closely  with  Member  States  and  EU 
stakeholders. This  is  done within the  Market  Access  Partnership, which remains a central 
strand of the strategy  for battling barriers. The partnership brings together the Commission, 
Member States and  EU  business  associations on a  regular basis, in different  configurations. 
The  Council’s  Trade  Policy  Committee  also  regularly  considers  implementation  and 
enforcement issues, including on country-specific barriers, to provide the necessary drive and 
direction and to develop a shared understanding between the Commission and Member States 
of priorities, of what needs to be done and of where efforts should be focused. 

The partnership’s work before  and during the mandate of this Commission has significantly  
freed up EU exports. Overall, econometric analysis carried out by DG TRADE showed that 
thanks to the removal of a number of barriers between 2018 and 2022, exports from the EU in 
2023 were EUR 6.2 billion higher than they would have been if the barriers had still been in 
place.  

IV.2  Bilateral and multilateral enforcement of trade commitments: resolving 
disputes 

While most barriers continue to  be tackled by bilateral  engagement with  the trading  partner 
through  FTA  committees  or  committees  in  the  WTO,  it  continues  to  be  necessary  in  some 
cases to move to formal dispute procedures, either under a bilateral agreement or in the WTO. 
For  this,  it  remains  crucial  to  preserve  the  ability  to  get  disputes  adjudicated  between 
parties.  

In particular, the  Multi-Party  Interim  Appeal  Arbitration  Agreement (MPIA) as  well as 
‘ad hoc’ appeal arbitration agreements have helped to preserve the adjudication of disputes at 
the  WTO  notwithstanding  the  blockage  by  the  United  States  since  2019  of  appointments  to 

28 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
the WTO’s Appellate Body. With the Philippines joining in May 2024, 54 of the 164 WTO 
members are now covered by the 26 MPIA participants. The first MPIA award was issued in 
December 2022 in DS591 in a case brought by the EU (Colombia – Frozen Fries).  

Dispute  settlement  -  albeit  taking  its  time  -  remains  an  important  avenue  for  the  EU’s 
enforcement  action.  It  is  a  well-established  and  rule-oriented  way  to  resolve  disputes  away 
from unnecessary politicisation. By reinforcing the rule of law, the dispute settlement system 
also makes the trading system more secure and predictable.  

No new offensive cases were launched by the EU in 2023, but two new ones were launched in 
June 2024:  

•  On  14  June  2024,  the  EU  launched  a  bilateral  dispute  settlement  case  against 
Algeria  under  the  EU-Algeria  Association  Agreement43 and  requested  consultations 
with  Algerian  authorities  to  address  several  restrictions  imposed  on  EU  exports  and 
investments, including, amongst others, an import licensing system with the effects of 
an import ban; subsidies contingent on the use of local inputs for car manufacturing; a 
cap on foreign ownership for companies importing goods in Algeria and an import ban 
for  ceramics  and  marble.  By  imposing  these  trade  restrictive  measures  since  2021, 
Algeria  in  the  view  of  the  EU  is  not  respecting  its  trade  liberalisation  commitments 
under the EU-Algeria Association Agreement.  

•  On  26  June  2024,  the  EU  requested  dispute  settlement  consultations  at  the  WTO 
concerning  Taiwan’s  use  of  local  content  criteria  for  offshore  wind  energy  projects 
(DS625,  Taiwan  –  offshore  wind).  In  the  view  of  the  EU,  Taiwan’s  local  content 
eligibility and award criteria in energy capacity allocation auctions for offshore wind 
farms are inconsistent with its WTO commitment to not discriminate against imported 
goods and services.  

Over  the  reporting  period,  the  EU  side  also  continued  leveraging  legal  enforcement  and 
was  able  to  obtain  relief  in  a  number  of  cases.  In  the  case  DS583  (Turkey  –  pharma),  the 
WTO  dispute  has  been  successful  in  reversing  Türkiye’s  policies  of  localisation  and 
prioritisation of pharmaceutical products.  

At the same time, winning a case does not always translate into the immediate removal 
of the restrictive measure or policy. In some cases, partner countries may engage in delaying 
tactics  or  take  measures  that  do  not  actually  result  in  compliance.  In  this  scenario,  the 
Commission  will  take  the  necessary  steps  to  defend  the  EU’s  interests  (i.e.  launching 
compliance proceedings or even considering retaliation) to maintain the pressure to ensure the 
removal of barriers. This is the case for DS591 (Colombia – Frozen fries) and DS577 (US – 
Ripe  olives)  where  compliance  proceedings  were  launched  (see  information  in  Section  I.1 
above). 

43 https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/09242a36-a438-40fd-a7af-fe32e36cbd0e/library/46ce9fe8-838a-4d71-8dde-
9f4cd9976d3e/details?download=true  

29 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Finally,  the  Commission  continued  efforts  to  ensure  the  full  implementation  of  panel 
rulings in the EU’s favour. To do so, it is making full use of the possibilities offered by the 
WTO dispute settlement scheme and the EU’s strengthened Enforcement Regulation44. The 
EU has recently faced the blocking of final adjudication of disputes within the WTO system, 
e.g. case DS592 (Indonesia-nickel ore), where Indonesia has appealed to the non-functioning 
WTO Appeal Body, and case  DS582 (ICT India – tariffs on ICT products) where India has 
similarly  appealed  after  almost  a  year  of  engagement  to  find  a  solution.  In  2023,  the 
Commission  launched  a  first  public  consultation  on  the  possible  use  of  the  Enforcement 
Regulation  against  Indonesia,  and  it  is  considering  applying  appropriate  and  proportionate 
countermeasures while discussions with the country on a possible solution are under way.  

IV.3  The Single Entry Point 

The  Single  Entry  Point  continued  to  provide  a  unified  platform  and  one-stop  shop, 
simplifying  the  process  for  stakeholders  to  report  barriers  to  the  Commission  and  setting  in 
motion  an  efficient  process  to  assess  complaints.  Progress  in  2023  underscores  the  EU’s 
dedication to promoting fair trade and sustainability objectives through streamlined processes 
and enhanced stakeholder engagement.  

Single Entry Point: How does it work? 

Complaints can be submitted by completing the relevant online forms (one for market access 
issues and one on TSD/GSP-related issues), available on Access2Markets45. These forms are 
designed to provide DG TRADE with sufficient information to conduct an initial assessment 
of  the  issue  at  stake  and  consider  the  appropriate  follow-up.  In  December  2023,  the 
Commission/DG  TRADE  revised  and  further  simplified  the  operating  guidelines  for  the 
Single  Entry  Point 46  and  came  up  with  an  indicative  timeline  of  120  working  days  for 
handling  TSD  complaints.  Clarifications  are  also  provided  in  pre-submission  meetings  with 
potential  complainants  and  subsequent  meetings  once  a  complaint  has  been  received.  The 
Commission can also open a complaint on its own initiative (‘ex officio’) to pursue cases.   

As  shown  in  figure  7  below,  the  Single  Entry  Point  received  complaints  about  barriers 
encountered in 20 partner countries, covering all geographical regions. In line with the trend 
observed in 2022, a quarter concerned alleged trade barriers in the Southern Neighbourhood 
(seven barriers), down from 33% in 2022. Almost a fifth of barriers arose in South and South 
East  Asia  and  Europe  and  the  Eastern  Neighbourhood,  respectively,  with  these  three  areas 
accounting for 61% of all complaints received. 

44 eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R0167 
45 https://trade.ec.europa.eu/access-to-markets/en/contact-form  
46 https://trade.ec.europa.eu/access-to-markets/en/form-assets/operational_guidelines.pdf  

30 

 
 
 
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
Figure 7: Complaints received by the Single Entry Point in 2023, per region

11%

3%

18%

25%

14%

18%

11%

African, Caribbean and Pacific

Europe and Eastern Neighbourhood

Far East

Latin America

South and South East Asia, Australia
and New Zealand

Southern neighbours,  Middle East,
Turkey, Russia and Central Asia

US, Canada

In  2023,  its  third  full  year  of  operation,  the  Single  Entry  Point received  28  external 
complaints from EU stakeholders. The vast majority (24) were brought  by EU business,  i.e. 
16 complaints were launched by EU companies, six by European trade associations, and two 
by  national  trade  associations.  The  two  remaining  complaints  were  launched  by  Member 
States.  In addition, the Commission started looking at two complaints on its own initiative.  

31