COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Individual information sheets on implementation of EU Trade Agreements Accompanying the document 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: 2025-11-03
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

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  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 3.11.2025  SWD(2025) 940 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Individual information sheets on implementation of EU Trade Agreements                                Accompanying the document 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                                                {COM(2025) 920 final}  
 
 
Table of Contents 
EU TRADE AGREEMENTS COVERED BY this Staff Working Document ......................... 6 

EU TRADE AGREEMENTS COVERED BY this Staff Working Document ......................... 7 

PART I:  

ASIA ..................................................................................................................... 9 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FREE 
TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND NEW ZEALAND ................................ 10 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FREE 
TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND VIET NAM .......................................... 12 

1.  THE AGREEMENTS ................................................................................................... 12 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ......................................................................... 12 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FREE 
TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND SINGAPORE ....................................... 17 

1.  THE AGREEMENTS ................................................................................................... 17 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ......................................................................... 18 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ECONOMIC 
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND JAPAN ................................... 21 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ..................................................................................................... 21 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ......................................................................... 21 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EU-SOUTH 
KOREA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT ................................................................................. 24 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ..................................................................................................... 24 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ......................................................................... 24 

3.  ACTIVITIES SUBJECT TO SPECIFIC MONITORING ............................................ 28 

PART II:  

THE AMERICAS .............................................................................................. 30 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EU-
CANADA COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC AND TRADE AGREEMENT (CETA) ........ 31 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ..................................................................................................... 31 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ......................................................................... 31 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EU-
COLOMBIA/ECUADOR/PERU TRADE AGREEMENT ..................................................... 37 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ..................................................................................................... 37 

3.   ACTIVITIES SUBJECT TO SPECIFIC MONITORING ............................................ 44 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PART IV OF THE 
ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND ITS MEMBER STATES AND 
CENTRAL AMERICA ............................................................................................................ 46 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ..................................................................................................... 46 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ......................................................................... 47 

3.  ACTIVITIES SUBJECT TO SPECIFIC MONITORING ............................................ 49 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRADE 
PILLAR OF THE ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND CHILE ...... 51 

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1.  THE AGREEMENTS ................................................................................................... 51 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ......................................................................... 52 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRADE 
PILLAR OF THE EU-MEXICO Global AGREEMENT ........................................................ 55 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ..................................................................................................... 55 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ......................................................................... 55 

PART III: EU NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES ....................................................................... 59 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ECONOMIC 
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND ALGERIA .............................. 61 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ..................................................................................................... 61 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ......................................................................... 62 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND LEBANON ............................. 66 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ..................................................................................................... 66 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ......................................................................... 66 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ECONOMIC 
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND JORDAN ................................ 68 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ..................................................................................................... 68 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ......................................................................... 68 

3.  ACTIVITIES OF SPECIFIC INTEREST ..................................................................... 69 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ECONOMIC 
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND MOROCCO ........................... 70 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ..................................................................................................... 70 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ......................................................................... 71 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND TUNISIA ................................ 74 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ..................................................................................................... 74 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ......................................................................... 75 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTERIM 
ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND PALESTINE .......................... 76 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ..................................................................................................... 76 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ......................................................................... 77 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ECONOMIC 
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND ISRAEL ................................. 78 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ..................................................................................................... 78 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ......................................................................... 79 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DEEP AND 
COMPREHENSIVE FREE TRADE AREA BETWEEN THE EU AND UKRAINE ........... 81 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ..................................................................................................... 81 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ......................................................................... 83 

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ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DEEP AND 
COMPREHENSIVE FREE TRADE AREA BETWEEN THE EU AND GEORGIA ........... 87 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ..................................................................................................... 87 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ......................................................................... 88 

3.  MONITORING IN SPECIFIC AREAS ........................................................................ 90 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DEEP AND 
COMPREHENSIVE FREE TRADE AREA BETWEEN THE EU AND MOLDOVA ......... 91 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ..................................................................................................... 91 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ......................................................................... 92 

3.  MONITORING IN SPECIFIC AREAS ........................................................................ 94 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRADE 
PILLAR OF THE EU-KOSOVO STABILISATION AND ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT

97 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ..................................................................................................... 97 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ......................................................................... 98 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRADE PILLAR 
OF THE EU-SERBIA STABILISATION AND ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT ................ 99 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ..................................................................................................... 99 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ....................................................................... 100 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRADE 
PILLAR OF THE EU-BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA STABILISATION AND 
ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT ............................................................................................ 101 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ................................................................................................... 101 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ....................................................................... 102 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON IMPLEMENTATION OF the trade pillar of the EU-
MONTENEGRO STABILISATION AND ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT ...................... 103 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ................................................................................................... 103 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ....................................................................... 104 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRADE 
PILLAR OF THE EU-ALBANIA STABILISATION AND ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT

105 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ................................................................................................... 105 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ....................................................................... 106 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRADE 
PILLAR OF THE STABILISATION AND ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN 
THE EU AND NORTH MACEDONIA ................................................................................ 107 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ................................................................................................... 107 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ....................................................................... 108 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EU-UNITED 
KINGDOM TRADE AND COOPERATION AGREEMENT .............................................. 110 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ................................................................................................... 110 

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2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ....................................................................... 111 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EU-
SWITZERLAND TRADE AGREEMENT ........................................................................... 116 

1.  THE AGREEMENTS ................................................................................................. 116 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ....................................................................... 118 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EU-
NORWAY TRADE AGREEMENT ...................................................................................... 121 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ................................................................................................... 121 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ....................................................................... 121 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EU-
ICELAND TRADE AGREEMENT ...................................................................................... 123 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ................................................................................................... 123 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ....................................................................... 124 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CUSTOMS 
UNION AND TRADE AGREEMENTS with TÜRKIYE .................................................... 125 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ................................................................................................... 125 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ....................................................................... 126 

PART IV: AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC COUNTRIES .................................. 129 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ECONOMIC 
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND KENYA ............................... 130 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ECONOMIC 
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (EPA) BETWEEN THE EU AND GHANA .................... 132 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ................................................................................................... 132 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ....................................................................... 133 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ECONOMIC 
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (EPA) BETWEEN THE EU AND THE SOUTHERN 
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY (SADC) ....................................................... 137 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ................................................................................................... 137 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ....................................................................... 139 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ECONOMIC 
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (EPA) BETWEEN THE EU AND CôTE D’IVOIRE ...... 143 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ................................................................................................... 143 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ....................................................................... 144 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ECONOMIC 
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (EPA) BETWEEN THE EU AND CAMEROON ........... 147 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ................................................................................................... 147 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ....................................................................... 148 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ECONOMIC 
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (EPA) BETWEEN THE EU AND THE EASTERN AND 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN REGION (ESA) ............................................................................. 151 

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  EN 

 
 
1.  THE AGREEMENT ................................................................................................... 151 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ....................................................................... 151 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ECONOMIC 
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (EPA) BETWEEN THE EU AND CARIFORUM .......... 155 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ................................................................................................... 155 

2.   MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ....................................................................... 156 

ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ECONOMIC 
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (EPA) BETWEEN THE EU AND PACIFIC STATES ... 160 

1.  THE AGREEMENT ................................................................................................... 160 

2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ....................................................................... 160 

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This Staff Working Document (SWD) contains additional information (country sheets) on 
41  individual  EU  trade  agreements,  complementing  the  Report  on  Implementation  and 
Enforcement of EU trade policy1 (“the report”). Its annex has a list of new barriers to trade 
recorded and barriers resolved in 2024.   

For the following information please consult the website of the Commission /DG TRADE: 

- Agendas and reports of meetings of the institutional bodies (FTA committees and working 
groups,  dialogues)  as  well  as  information  on  agenda  and  reports  of  civil  society  forum 
meetings2; 

- General statistics (regularly updated) on trade in goods and services and on foreign direct 
investment for all EU trading partner countries3; 
The Commission/DG TRADE’s Implementation & Enforcement webpage4 has the following 
information,  which  is  made  available  together  with  the  annual  report  and  staff  working 
document: 

- Statistics on trade in goods and services and on foreign direct investment between the EU 
and preferential trading partner countries (these are compiled for the annual report, based 
on Eurostat data for the EU27 as they stand in March 2025. NB: The latest statistics for trade 
in goods are for 2024, for trade in services and investment for 2023, except where indicated 
otherwise); 

- Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs) for the EU and preferential partner countries’ fill rates in 2024; 

- Preference utilisation rates (PURs) on EU imports for partner countries as well as PURs on 
EU  exports  to  the  preferential  partners,  who  shared  the  information,  together  with  an 
explanation of the sources and methodology.  They are updated once a year, in  the  fall.  NB. 
Figures for preference use on EU imports and EU exports are based on different datasets from 
distinct  sources.  Preference  utilisation  rates  on  imports  use  Eurostat  figures  and  are 
harmonised.  Preference  utilisation  rates  on  EU  exports  use  data  submitted  by  EU  trading 
partners’  customs  authorities,  which  apply  different  methods  and  practices:  the  data  are 
therefore not harmonised and not comparable.   

1 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 –  
COM(2025) 920; Circabc 
2 https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-country-and-region/transparency-eu-trade-
negotiations_en  
3 https://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/statistics/  
4 https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/enforcement-and-protection/implementing-and-enforcing-eu-trade-
agreements_en  

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
EU TRADE AGREEMENTS COVERED BY THIS STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 
(Agreement/date of application)5 

PART I: ASIA 

EU-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement  
EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement 
EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement 
EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement 
EU-South Korea Free Trade Agreement 

1 May 2024  
1 August 2020 
21 November 2019 
1 February 2019 
1 July 2011 
PART II: THE AMERICAS 

EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and 
Trade Agreement  
EU-Colombia-Peru-Ecuador Trade Agreement 

EU-Central America Association Agreement  

EU-Chile Association Agreement 

EU-Mexico Global Agreement 

21 September 2017 

1 November 2024: Agreement entered 
fully into force 
1 May 2024: Agreement entered fully 
into force 
1 February 2003 (1 February 2025 for the 
Interim Trade Agreement) 
Applied for goods since 1 July 2000; 
applied for services since 1 March 2001. 

PART III: EU NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES 
Mediterranean and Middle East countries - Free Trade Areas 

EU-Algeria  
EU-Egypt  
EU-Lebanon  
EU-Jordan  
EU-Morocco  
EU-Tunisia  
EU-Palestine6  
EU-Israel  

1 September 2005 
21 December 2003 
1 March 2003 
1 May 2002 
18 March 2000 
1 March 1998 
1 July 1997 
1 January 1996 

Eastern countries – Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas 

EU-Ukraine  

EU-Georgia  

EU-Moldova 

1 January 2016 and entered into force on 
1 September 2017. 
1 September 2014 and entered into force 
on 1 July 2016. 
1 September 2014 and entered into force 
on 1 July 2016. 

5 For sake of consistency this report uses the short names for EU trading partners as listed in the inter-
institutional guide, available at https://publications.europa.eu/code/en/en-5000500.htm 
6 This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the 
individual positions of Member States on this issue. 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
EU TRADE AGREEMENTS COVERED BY THIS STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 
(Agreement /date of application) 

Western Balkans – Stabilisation and Association Agreements 

EU-Kosovo* 7 
EU-Serbia  

EU-Bosnia and Herzegovina  

EU-Montenegro 

EU-Albania  

EU-North Macedonia 

Full entry into force: 1 April 2016 
Interim Agreement on trade for Serbia: 1 
February 2009; for the EU: 8 December 
2009. Full entry into force: 1 September 
2013.  
Interim Agreement on trade 1 July 2008, 
full entry into force: 1 June 2015.  
Interim Agreement on trade1 January 
2008, full entry into force: 1 May 2010. 
Interim Agreement on trade 1 December 
2006, full entry into force: 1 April 2009. 
Interim Agreement on trade 1 June 2001, 
full entry into force: 1 April 2004. 

Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Türkiye 

EU-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement 
EU-Iceland Free Trade Agreement 
EU-Norway Free Trade Agreement 
EU- Turkey Customs Union 

1 January 1973  
1 April 1973 
1 July 1973 
Association Agreement signed in 1963; 
Customs Union agreement signed 6 March 
1995, full entry into force 31 December 
1995. 

EU-United Kingdom Trade and 
Cooperation Agreement 

The United Kingdom 

1 January 2021 

PART IV: AFRICA, CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC – Economic Partnership 
Agreements  

EU-Kenya Economic Partnership 
Agreement  
EU-Ghana (interim) 
EU-Southern African Development 
Community (SADC)  

EU-Côte d’Ivoire (interim) 
EU-Central Africa (Cameroon) 
EU-Eastern and Southern African States 
(interim) 

EU-Pacific countries (interim) 

EU-CARIFORUM 

1 July 2024 

15 December 2016 
10 October 2016 for Botswana, Eswatini, 
Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa; 4 
February 2018 for Mozambique. 
3 September 2016 
4 August 2014 for Cameroon 
14 May 2012 for Madagascar, Mauritius, 
Seychelles and Zimbabwe; for Comoros 
since 7 February 2019 
20 December 2009 for Papua New 
Guinea; 28 July 2014 for Fiji, 31 
December 2018 for Samoa and 17 May 
2020 for Solomon Islands.  
29 December 2008 for Antigua & 
Barbuda; Belize; Bahamas; Barbados; 

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on 
the Kosovo declaration of independence.  

7 

 
 
 
 
Dominica; Dominican Republic; Grenada; 
Guyana; Jamaica; St. Kitts & Nevis; Saint 
Lucia; St. Vincent & the Grenadines; 
Suriname; and Trinidad & Tobago. 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PART I:  

ASIA 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FREE 
TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND NEW ZEALAND 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The negotiations for a free trade agreement between the EU and New Zealand (EU-NZ FTA or 
“the agreement”) began in June 2018 and were completed in June 2022. The agreement entered 
into force on 1 May 2024 and is the fifth bilateral agreement the EU concluded in the region, 
after the agreements with Korea, Japan, Singapore and Viet Nam.  

New  Zealand  is  an  important  like-minded  partner  in  the  Indo-Pacific  region.  Prior  to  the 
agreement, the EU and New Zealand have concluded a number of bilateral agreements: In July 
2022  a  partnership  agreement  entered  into  force,  relating  to  economic  cooperation.  A 
bilateral  agreement  for  mutual  recognition  of  certain  technical  certificates  first  entered 
into force in 1998 and was revised in 2012. A veterinary agreement to simplify trade in live 
animals and animal products (while protecting public and animal health) is in place since 2003 
and was updated in 2015. 

New Zealand is a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and part of the 
Comprehensive  and  Progressive  Trans-Pacific  Partnership 
the  Regional 
Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for 
Prosperity (IPEF). New Zealand has been a member of WTO since 1995. 

(CPTPP), 

In July 2023, New Zealand became the first country outside of Europe to associate to Horizon 
Europe (Pillar 2)8, which has led to deepened EU-New Zealand collaboration in research and 
innovation.    

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

2.1  Market Access: Progress and outstanding issues 

The first meeting of the Trade Committee will take place on 6 June 2025. Prior to the Trade 
Committee, a number of specialised committees will meet, including the sub-committees on 
Wine and Spirits, Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures, Sustainable Food Systems, Intellectual 
Property Rights (including Geographical Indications), Trade in Goods, Trade and Sustainable 
Development and the Joint Customs Cooperation Committee. 

In accordance with the relevant provisions of the agreement, Domestic Advisory Groups were 
established on both sides, comprising of a balanced representation of independent civil society 
including  non-governmental  organisations,  business  and  employers' 
organisations 
organisations  as  well  as  trade  unions  active  on  economic,  sustainable  development,  social, 
human rights, environmental and other matters, and, in the case of New Zealand, representatives 
of the Māori Treaty partners. 

During the first year of implementation, tariff liberalisation and the administration of Tariff 
Rate Quotas saw a smooth process, in line with the terms of the EU-NZ FTA. Exchanges on 

8 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/af30723e-f4ce-11eb-aeb9-01aa75ed71a1  

10 

 
 
  
 
 
further advantages to business (e.g. paperless certification) are ongoing between the EU and 
New Zealand.  

Progress on non-tariff market access issues was made in the following areas: 

•  Intellectual  Property  Rights:  New  Zealand  has  made  progress  in  implementing  its 
Intellectual Property commitments. In late 2024, the Resale Right for Visual Artists Act 
entered into force, guaranteeing artists a royalty fee for artwork sales in the secondary 
market.  Steps  have  also  been  taken  to  recommence  a  reform  of  New  Zealand’s 
Copyright  regime,  which  will  include  amendments  necessary  to  implement  the 
commitments under the EU-NZ FTA, namely an extension of the term of protection and 
the introduction of protection of Technological Protection Mechanisms. New Zealand 
has four years from entry into force to comply with these requirements. 

•  Geographical Indications: The entry into force of the agreement ensures the protection 
of the EU’s full list of close to 2000 EU wines and spirits as well as 163 other food 
products, such as Feta, Parmigiano Reggiano, Lubecker Marzipan and Elia Kalamatas 
olives. This is a welcome development compared to the market situation prior to the 
agreement. Putting in place the appropriate legislation in New Zealand to respect the 
terms of the FTA in this regard is even more noticeable as New Zealand does not have 
a domestic regime to protect Geographical Indications other than wines and spirits. 

•  Investment:  In  accordance  with  the  EU-NZ  FTA,  New  Zealand  has  increased  the 
screening threshold for investments by EU companies under its Overseas Investment 
Act.  New  Zealand’s  foreign  investment  regime  is  one  of  the  most  restrictive  in  the 
OECD (38th of 38 as of 2020). An overhaul of that regime has been announced for 2025 
as part of initiatives to boost the economy  and make it easier for foreign  companies, 
including EU companies, to invest in the country.   

In addition, New Zealand is in the process of revising its policies and the relevant legislation 
governing construction materials. As part of this process, a number of recommendations were 
gathered to reduce regulatory barriers for business, including input from the EU. New Zealand 
is  planning  to  introduce  a  number  of  key  regulatory  changes  that  would  make  it  easier  for 
foreign building products to access the New Zealand market. 

2.2. Trade and sustainable development: Progress and outstanding issues 

The first meeting of the TSD specialised committee was held on 6 May 2025. The main topics 
for discussion covered updates on the domestic and international policy developments related 
to trade and environment, trade and climate change, trade and labour, and trade and gender. 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FREE 
TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND VIET NAM  

1. 

THE AGREEMENTS 

The economic partnership between the EU and Viet Nam comprises two distinct agreements, 
namely a free trade agreement and an investment protection agreement. Negotiations began 
in 2012 and were finalized in December 2015 on a single text covering both agreements. In 
2018, the EU and Viet Nam decided to split the initial single agreement into a trade agreement 
and an investment protection agreement, respectively.  

The EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) was signed on 30 June 2019 and entered 
into force on 1 August 2020. It sets out the rules accompanying trade liberalization between the 
EU and Viet Nam. The Agreement establishes a free trade area between the Union and Viet 
Nam.  Its  objectives  are  to  liberalize  and  facilitate  trade  and  investment  between  the  Parties 
under  the  Agreement,  in  a  manner  mindful  of  high  levels  of  environmental  and  labour 
protection and relevant internationally recognised standards and agreements. 

The  EU-Viet  Nam  Investment  Protection  Agreement  was  signed  on  30  June  2019.  The 
agreement, already ratified by Viet Nam and by the European Parliament, will enter into force 
once ratified by all 27 EU Member States. The EU-Viet Nam Investment Agreement sets out 
rules that give EU investors and their investments in Viet Nam a high level of protection, while 
safeguarding EU governments' rights to pass new laws and update existing ones. It will replace 
and upgrade bilateral investment treaties that several Member States currently have in place 
with Viet Nam.  

Viet Nam is an important regional economic actor and is part of a number of bilateral and major 
regional  trade  agreements,  including  the  Comprehensive  and  Progressive  Agreement  for 
Trans-Pacific  Partnership  (CPTPP)  and 
the  Regional  Comprehensive  Economic 
Partnership (RCEP).  

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

2.1  Market Access: Progress and outstanding issues 

Since 1 August 2020, the EU and Viet Nam have regularly convened the specialised committees 
and working groups established by the EVFTA and held several meetings on specific issues of 
interest.   

The third Trade Committee took place on 19 December 2023. Due to changes in leadership 
on  both  sides,  the  Trade  Committee  did  not  convene  in  2024.  The  fourth  Trade  Committee 
meeting will be held on 26 June 2025. 

In 2024, progress on market access issues was made in the following areas in particular:  

12 

 
 
 
 
•  Remanufactured goods: Viet Nam acknowledged that, in line with its commitments 
under the EVFTA, remanufactured goods would receive the same treatment as new like 
goods. At the meeting of the Trade in Goods Committee on 19 July 2024, Viet Nam 
stated that Decree 66/2024/ND-CP, which implements this commitment, took effect on 
17 June 2024. The Commission has assessed the decree and considers that it fulfils Viet 
Nam’s obligations. 

•  Pharmaceutical products: On 21 November 2024, the Vietnamese National Assembly 
adopted  the  updated  Law  on  Pharmacy,  establishing  the  legal  basis  for  maintaining 
marketing authorisations for EU pharmaceutical products beyond 31 December 2024. 
The  law  and  its  implementing  regulation  introduced  a  simplified,  non-suspensive 
renewal  application  procedure,  ensuring  no  gap  between  the  expiry  of  a  marketing 
authorisation and its renewal. Since the entry into force of this circular, neither the EU 
pharmaceutical sector nor Member States have reported disruptions to the validity of 
existing marketing authorisations.  

•  Automotive  sector:  Viet  Nam's  Decree  No.  60/2023/ND-CP,  issued  on  August  16, 
2023, established revised rules for the inspection and certification of technical safety 
and  environmental  protection  for  imported  automobiles  by  recognising  International 
Whole  Vehicle  Type  Approval  (UNECE  R0)  certificates  and  EU  Certificates  of 
Conformity (EC CoCs), which are available for whole vehicles. Decree 60/2023/ND-
CP took effect on 1 October 2023 for the components covered and will be applicable to 
complete automobiles starting 1 August 2025.  

•  Intellectual Property Rights (IPR): Following the adoption in 2022 of amendments 
to the Intellectual Property Law, Viet Nam has issued a certain number of Governmental 
Decrees and Ministerial Circulars in 2023 and 2024 guiding the implementation of the 
amended Intellectual Property Law, which provides a basis for Viet Nam’s compliance 
with  a  number  of  standards,  international  treaties  or  agreements,  including  the  IP 
Chapter  of  the  EU-Vietnam  FTA. Based  on  these  developments,  stakeholders  have 
reported  improvements,  in  particular  concerning  online  enforcement  and  the  site 
blocking process and developing border measures aimed at protecting IPR.  

Work continued with Viet Nam on the following market access issues:  

•  Pharmaceutical products: In this sector, Viet Nam needs to take further steps to enable 
the  EU  industry  to  fully  benefit  from  the  EVFTA.  Complex  and  time-consuming 
requirements  for  the  marketing  authorisation  of  new  pharmaceutical  products,  along 
with delays in their inclusion in the National Reimbursement Drug List - which allows 
patients  to  access  medicines  through  the  public  health  insurance  scheme  -  remain 
significant  challenges.  The  EU  continued  to  work  with  Viet  Nam  to  speed  up  the 
marketing authorisation of new pharmaceutical products.   

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•  EU Member States’ general applications for exports of animal and plant products: 
Work continued in 2024 to reduce the important backlog, although procedures remain 
lengthy, and the high number of unprocessed applications persists.  The EU has been 
calling on Viet Nam to streamline approval processes, including grouping Member State 
applications by product  type to  expedite reviews, and commit to  a clear timeline for 
addressing the backlog of pending applications and revising excessive testing protocols. 
For that purpose, in September 2024, Viet Nam and the EU established a “task force 
group” to which Member States are associated. Furthermore, Viet Nam’s refusal to treat 
the  EU  as  a  single  entity  for  market  access  and  regionalisation  purposes  results  in 
redundant  information  requests,  excessive  delays  in  market  access  approvals,  and 
unnecessary audits, affecting EU exports. To align with its EVFTA commitments, Viet 
Nam should recognise the EU as a single entity. 

•  Pre-listing of EU establishments exporting animal products to Viet Nam: under the 
pre-listing mechanism, Viet Nam has approved several establishments to export animal 
products  to  its  market.  However,  since  April  2024,  the  approval  process  has  faced 
significant  delays,  up  to  a  year  instead  of  the  45  days  agreed  under  the  EVFTA.  In 
addition,  Viet  Nam  has  introduced  new  requirements  not  only  for  newly  notified 
establishments  but  also  for  those  already  approved,  without  prior  communication  or 
coordination  with  the  EU.  This  has  led  to  unprecedented  delays  and  uncertainty,  as 
exports are reportedly being blocked despite approved market access.   

•  Automotive sector: In 2024, discussions have continued with the aim to achieve Viet 

Nam’s full implementation of the car annex to the EVFTA without additional 
requirements for components that comply with UNECE standards. 

•  Geographical  indications:  In  2024,  the  EU  also  continued  pursuing  the  aim  of 
reviewing the list of geographical indications according to the provisions of the EVFTA, 
following the openness shown at political level by Viet Nam in late 2023. In 2024, a 
follow-up took place in technical meetings on 12 February, 19 March and in the IPR 
Working Group on 10-11 July. However, in the absence of a political mandate from 
Viet Nam to engage effectively in the review of the GI lists, it has not yet been possible 
to advance this process. 

•  Discriminatory  taxes:  The  EU  continued  to  monitor  and  raise  concerns  about  Viet 
Nam’s  discriminatory  taxes  affecting  EU  exports,  particularly  in  the  automotive  and 
alcoholic  beverages  sectors.  On  the  latter,  tax  levels  have  remained  high  in  the  past 
years, disproportionately affecting imported beverages, and are deemed to  be further 
increased thereby providing further incentives for illicit production and trade. 

Areas where concerns regarding market access issues remain: 

The  EU  acknowledges  the  ongoing  efforts  done  by  Viet  Nam  to  address  such  issues  and  is 
investing  in  technical  assistance  activities,  in  the  framework  of  IP  Key  South-East  Asia, 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
focussed  on  the  implementation  of  the  IP  Chapter  of  the  EVFTA.  In  addition,  significant 
concerns  remain,  including  the  need  for  copyright  registration  to  ensure  protection, 
limitations  in  ISP  liability9  for  copyright  infringement,  lengthy  trademark  registration 
processes, bad-faith trademark filings affecting both trademarks and GIs, prolonged opposition 
proceedings that hinder effective GI protection, and the lack of ex-officio rejection for marks 
containing or consisting of a protected GI. However, in regard to IPR, although stakeholders 
have reported improvements in online enforcement and border measures (see also above), with 
an increase in border seizures, enforcement, both as regards online and physical marketplaces, 
remains inadequate and of the highest concern.  

2.2 

Trade and sustainable development: Progress and outstanding issues  

At the TSD Committee of November 2024, the EU and Viet Nam adopted a Joint Declaration 
dedicated to the enhancement of the functioning of the TSD chapter of the FTA.   

Labour issues  

Viet  Nam  has  ratified  25  ILO  Conventions,  including  nine  out  of  the  ten  fundamental 
Conventions. Viet Nam adopted a new Trade Union law in December 2024. At the same time, 
Viet Nam has so far failed to meet its promise given to the European Parliament in the context 
of the EVFTA ratification - to ratify the last fundamental ILO convention, i.e. Convention Nr. 
87 on the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise. The EU continues 
to  insist  that  Viet  Nam  must  take  concrete  steps  towards  ratification  and  effective 
implementation of ILO Convention Nr. 87.  

Ratification  of  ILO  Convention  Nr.  C87  and  Viet  Nam’s  labour-related  obligations  in  the 
EVFTA and  commitments made in  this regard  –  including  to  implement  and promote these 
rights in practice – remain a top priority for the EU under the TSD chapter and this also in view 
of a formal complaint in relation to labour rights in Viet Nam received by the Single Entry 
Point in April 2024 and another one received in February 2025.    

At the fourth Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) Committee in November 2024, Viet 
Nam reiterated its commitment to work towards the ratification of the ILO Convention Nr. C87 
and  to  approve  a  Decree  to  allow  the  setting-up  of  independent  trade  unions,  i.e.,  not 
associated with the authorities. Viet Nam is developing a plan for the implementation of the 
recommendations it accepted during the 2024 Universal Periodic Review (UNCHR), among 
them  the  ratification  of  ILO  Convention  Nr.  C87.  Nevertheless,  Viet  Nam  has  not  so  far 
provided any further information to the EU as regards the steps already undertaken or envisaged 
to be undertaken as regards the ratification of ILO Convention Nr. C87, nor an envisaged target 
date by which ratification should be completed. At the same time, important delays are expected 
on the Decree’s adoption due to the complexity to reach a consensus among stakeholders in 
Viet Nam, in particular with business representatives and Trade Unions’ representatives.  

9 ISP liability is the legal responsibility of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) for the actions of their users 
regarding copyright infringement and other intellectual property (IP) rights. 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
Based  on  relevant  reports  from  the  ILO  supervisory  committees  and  other  sources,  the  EU 
continues to closely monitor developments in Viet Nam regarding the freedom of expression 
and assembly that are integral parts of freedom of association. 

Furthermore, the Commission continues raising with Viet Nam the issue of child labour and 
Viet Nam’s commitment to eliminate it by 2025 in accordance with Sustainable Development 
Goal 8.7. The recent National Action Programme aims at a child labour rate of still more than 
4 percent by 2030 after 5.4 percent in 2018. Viet Nam’s National Programme of Action is now 
approved at national level and work is focusing on implementation at the regional level. Further 
decisions on tackling child labour are  expected to  be taken  based on  the outcome of the 3rd 
survey on child labour, which is planned for 2025.   

Additional concerns relate to Viet Nam’s capacity to carry out labour inspections, in particular 
regarding the number and quality of inspections and lack of training, as was also noted in the 
2021 report of the ILO supervisory mechanism (Committee of Experts on the Application of 
Conventions and Recommendations) on ILO Convention 81.   

Environment  

In 2023 Viet Nam expressed its willingness to reinforce bilateral cooperation with the EU on 
climate and environmental policies as well as at international level (UNEA-610, CBD COP 
1611 and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 
(CITES). For example, Viet Nam is engaging in the circular economy model as pursued by 
the EU, including the policies and technologies leading to a less wasteful and more efficient 
economy.  

Cooperation with civil society  

Viet  Nam  established  a  Domestic  Advisory  Group  (DAG)  in  the  autumn  of  2021  and, 
following the second TSD committee meeting in October 2022, increased  membership from 
three to six and one extra member joined in 2022. On the institutional side, Viet Nam and the 
EU at the 4th TSD Committee meeting in November 2024 agreed on a joint declaration12 which 
streamlines  the  functioning  of  the  TSD  chapter  and  in  particular  the  role  of  the  Domestic 
Advisory Groups in monitoring the implementation of the TSD chapter.    

10 The sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) took place from 26 February to 1 
March 2024 at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.  
11 The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) took place in 
Cali, Colombia, focusing on advancing global biodiversity conservation efforts and operationalizing key 
frameworks. 
12 https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/09242a36-a438-40fd-a7af-fe32e36cbd0e/library/9b6be3b3-a421-4638-
b020-47656b237b02/details  

16 

 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FREE 
TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND SINGAPORE 

1. 

THE AGREEMENTS 

The  economic  partnership  between  the  EU  and  Singapore  is  made  up  of  two  distinct 
agreements,  namely  a  free  trade  agreement  (EUSFTA)  and  an  investment  protection 
agreement.13 These are the first agreements on trade and investment the EU ever concluded 
with  an ASEAN Member State.  Negotiations began in  2009, with  negotiations for the trade 
agreement  and  the  investment  protection  agreement  being  completed  in  2012  and  2017, 
respectively. The trade agreement entered into force on 21 November 2019, and the investment 
agreement will enter into force once ratified by all EU Member States.   

Singapore is the EU’s largest trade and investment partner in Southeast Asia, ranking as 
the EU’s 5th largest trade partner for services globally (EUR 80.6 billion) and 5th largest FDI 
destination  (EUR  263  billion)  in  2023.  Singapore  is  the  largest  ASEAN  destination  for  EU 
exports of goods, amounting to EUR 30.3 billion in 2024.  

Singapore is an important regional economic actor and is part of a number of major regional 
trade  agreements,  including  the  Comprehensive  and  Progressive  Agreement  for  Trans-
Pacific  Partnership  (CPTPP),  the  ASEAN  Free  Trade  Area  (AFTA)  and  the  Regional 
Comprehensive  Economic  Partnership  (RCEP).  Singapore’s  membership  of  ASEAN  also 
gives it notable political as well as economic influence in the Southeast Asia region.  

Following  the  conclusion  of  negotiations  on  25  July  2024,  Commissioner  for  Trade  and 
Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič and Singapore Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace 
Fu on 7 May 2025 signed and the Digital Trade Agreement between the EU and Singapore. 
It will enter into force once the ratification process on both sides is completed and complement 
the  2019  EUSFTA,  connecting  both  economies  further  and  benefiting  businesses  and 
consumers that want to engage in digital trade.  

13 The decision to “split” the agreement into a free trade agreement and an investment protection agreement was 
made following the Opinion 2/15 of the European Court of Justice on the allocation of competences between the 
European Union and the Member States. 

17 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

The  second  meeting  of  the  Trade  Committee  took  place  25  July  2024,  chaired  by  the  time 
European  Commission  Executive  Vice-President  and  Commissioner  for  Trade,  Valdis 
Dombrovskis, and Singapore Minister-in-charge of Trade relations, Grace Fu. Co-chairs took 
note of the smooth implementation and effective functioning  of the EUSFTA and discussed 
ways to strengthen collaboration in forward-looking trade areas, including the green economy. 
They exchanged views on regional and global economic developments, including at the WTO, 
and  agreed  to  continue  working  together  on  shared  trade  priorities  to  strengthen  trade  and 
investment links. 

2.1  Market Access: Progress and outstanding issues 

Singapore had eliminated all remaining customs duties for goods originating in the EU upon 
entry  into  force  of  the  agreement.  On  21  November  2024,  the  EU  completed  its  tariff 
elimination schedule under the EUSFTA for goods originating in Singapore and imported into 
the EU.  

Progress was made in 2024 on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS): 

• 

In April 2024, Poland gained market access to Singapore for the export of beef and 
beef  products  under  pre-listing  conditions,  as  an  outcome  of  a  virtual  inspection 
conducted in July 2023. Poland was already approved for exports to Singapore for eggs, 
pork and poultry products with regionalisation arrangements in place for African Swine 
Fever (ASF) and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).  

•  Following an inspection visit in May 2024, Portugal obtained country-wide approval 
for  exports  of  pork  and  pork  products  to  Singapore  under  pre-listing  conditions, 
becoming the 15th EU MS to obtain approval for exports of meat and meat products to 
Singapore.  

• 

In  August  2024,  Singapore  amended  its  veterinary  import  conditions  for  all  third 
countries allowing the use of vaccination against HPAI for imports of live domestic 
birds  (including  day-old  chicks,  domestic  birds),  poultry  and  poultry  products,  and 
hatching eggs.  

The fifth EU-Singapore SPS Committee meeting was held on 11 April 2025 in Brussels. The 
study  visits  to  Lithuania  and  Greece  of  Singaporean  competent  authorities  on 
regionalisation measures for animal diseases took place from 2 to 10 April back-to-back with 
the SPS Committee. A joint public report with follow-up actions has been published14.  During 
the meeting, both sides discussed a wide range of issues, including import requirements (born 
and raised clause; export of meat and fishery products to the EU through Singapore from third 

14 https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/09242a36-a438-40fd-a7af-fe32e36cbd0e/library/b2b8b878-db49-42cf-9c6a-
8cd31f19c620?p=1&n=10&sort=modified_DESC  

18 

 
 
 
  
  
 
 
  
 
countries, or from the EU through Singapore to third countries; revision of import requirements 
for  chilled  pork;  revision  of  the  import  fee  applied  to  frozen,  chilled  and  processed  meat 
products imported into Singapore); verifications (audits performed or planned in EU Member 
States and in Singapore); trade facilitation (state of play of EU Member State applications to 
export animal products for human consumption and animal by-products to Singapore, approved 
control plan for aquaculture crustaceans, revised procedures for additional processed meat and 
egg  products  from  overseas  establishments);  measures  linked  to  animal  and  plant  health 
(regionalisation, update and exchange on vaccination as a complementary tool for prevention 
and control of HPAI); animal welfare, as well as cooperation activities and the EU’s Vision 
for Agriculture and Food and update on novel food developments at Codex. 

In addition, on 30 April 2025 Singapore announced the resumption of beef and pork imports 
from  the  containment zones in  the EU as  well as from  the  entire territory of Germany with 
immediate effect following the reinstatement of the status ‘free from foot-and-mouth disease 
without vaccination’.  

2.2 

Trade and sustainable development: Progress and outstanding issues  

On Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD), the EU and Singapore agreed to hold the third 
TSD  Board  meeting  and  Public  Stakeholders  Forum  on  15-16  April  2025  in  Singapore. 
During the TSD Board meeting, the EU and Singapore discussed updates and developments on 
environmental, climate and labour issues, including in relation to Singapore’s efforts towards 
ratification of the three pending fundamental ILO conventions (see further below). Following 
the meeting, a Joint Statement was published15. 

•  On  labour,  despite  some  progress  to  make  legislative  changes,  Singapore  has  not 
ratified three fundamental ILO conventions, namely C87 on Freedom of Association 
and  Protection  of  the  Right  to  Organise,  C111  on  Discrimination  (Employment  and 
Occupation) and C105 on Abolition of Forced Labour. On 8 January 2025, Singapore 
Parliament passed a new Workplace Fairness Bill to entrench anti-discrimination in 
the workplace, as part of its efforts towards the ratification of ILO Convention C111. 
Continued and sustained efforts towards the ratification and effective implementation 
of all ILO fundamental Conventions remain a priority for the EU.  

•  On the environment, the EU and Singapore share a commitment to the full and timely 
implementation  of  their  respective  commitments  under  the  Paris  Agreement  and 
continue to review key domestic policies to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and 
support sustainable economic growth. 

15 https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/09242a36-a438-40fd-a7af-fe32e36cbd0e/library/07f4f4c5-ee92-4ce2-b472-
9afd80b72788?p=1&n=10&sort=modified_DESC 

19 

 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
In  the  margins  of  the  TSD  Board  meeting  and  the  Public  Stakeholders  Forum,  a  meeting 
between  the  EU  and  Singapore  Domestic  Advisory  Groups  took  place,  during  which  they 
discussed issues of mutual interest. 

20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 

ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND 
JAPAN 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The  EU-Japan  Economic  Partnership  Agreement  (“the  EU-Japan  EPA”;  hereinafter  “the 
Agreement”)  entered  into  force  on  1  February  2019.  It  is  one  of  the  most  ambitious  trade 
agreements concluded by the EU so far, providing for broad-based trade liberalisation coupled 
with rules and disciplines on aspects such as labour rights, environmental protection, antitrust, 
corporate governance and the commercial activities of state-owned enterprises, among other 
topics. The agreement thus provides a sound basis for the development of economic relations 
between the Parties.  

The agreement is particularly important for the EU agri-food sector, offering huge potential 
for increasing EU exports of many products, such as wine, pork, beef, cheeses and processed 
agricultural products.  

Between 2018 and 2024, EU exports of goods to Japan have grown by 16%, with a cumulative 
annual  growth  of  2.46%.  In  2024,  EU  exports  of  goods  to  Japan  increased  by  4.5%,  when 
compared to 2023, and the trade balance was positive for the EU (EUR 3.4 billion). Bilateral 
trade in services increased of 34.6 % between 2018 and 2023 and, in 2023, there was an increase 
of 3.3%, when compared to 2022.  

An ex-post evaluation of the EU-Japan EPA is under preparation, with the help of an external 
contractor, in order to assess its economic, social, human rights and environmental impact five 
years after its entry into force. The evaluation will also look at areas where further efforts are 
needed to ensure a full and efficient implementation of the Agreement and will examine its role 
in the broader context of the EU-Japan relations. 

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

2.1  Market Access: Progress and outstanding issues  

Progress was made in 2024 inter alia on the following issues:  

•  Offshore wind: In 2024, there were positive results for EU industry participating  in 
auctions  for  offshore  wind  projects  in  Japan  and  several  EU  companies  successfully 
participated in public tenders. Moreover, Japan is about to revise its regulation on access 
to foreign vessels in 2025, which could  contribute to removing a major constraint to 
accessing offshore wind projects in Japan. 

•  Geographical  Indications:  The  EU  and  Japan  agreed  to  further  extend  the  list  of 
Geographical Indications (GIs) annexed to the EPA. The aim is to add 27 GIs on each 
side by the end of 2025. 

21 

 
 
 
 
 
Work continued on the following market access issues: 

• 

• 

In  the  area  of  SPS,  the  work  towards  the  finalisation  of  the  Mutual  recognition  of 
regionalisation for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) continued between the 
EU and Japan.  

Japan’s  overly  complicated  and  lengthy  market  access  approval  procedures  for 
certain  EU  agri-food  products  (especially  for  fruits  and  vegetables)  continue  to 
hamper EU exports. To address this issue, the EU continued its engagement with Japan 
towards a simplification of the lengthy and duplicative assessments conducted for each 
EU Member State individually. In coordination with the interested EU Member States, 
the EU worked with Japan on a pilot project grouping apple market access applications 
from these EU Member States. 

•  The Commission continues to monitor the fill rate and management of TRQs under 

the EPA. 

The following outstanding issues remain: 

•  The  current  Japanese  regulations  covering  the  access  to  foreign  flagged  vessels 
(cabotage)  remain  an  issue,  since  they  exacerbate  the  worldwide  scarcity  of  vessels 
available for the construction of offshore wind projects. This has been a persistent issue 
for EU industry. 

• 

In the area of public procurement, Japan failed to ensure the automatic and immediate 
publication  of  all  tenders  falling  under  the  EU-Japan  EPA  or  the  WTO  GPA  on  the 
single point of access (i.e. JETRO) – progress on government procurement thus remains 
limited. 

2.2 

Trade and sustainable development: Progress and outstanding issues  

The Joint Dialogue with Civil Society was held on 11 April 2024 in Japan, ahead of the TSD 
Committee, as requested by the EU Domestic Advisory Group, so it could inform the latter. 
The next Joint Dialogue is scheduled for 23 June 2025. 

Topics  discussed  included  trade  and  environment,  namely  circular  economy  and  efforts  to 
regulate green claims (greenwashing) as well as labour, where exchange focussed on the latest 
developments in the ratification of core ILO conventions by Japan, as well as the EU forced 
labour  regulation  and  the  issue  of  responsible  business  conduct/due  diligence.  A  dedicated 
workshop  on  Human  Rights  and  environmental  due  diligence  took  place  on  12  April  2024, 
bringing together experts from the OECD and civil society on both sides. In addition, the joint 
statement of the European Business Council in Japan (EBC) and the Japan Business Council in 
Europe (JBCE) on Sustainable and Responsible Supply Chains was presented and discussed. 

22 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Committee on Trade and Sustainable Development met on 28 June 202416:  

•  On the environment, exchanges took place to inform about and promote the EU Green 
Deal legislation, namely the waste shipment regulation, the packaging and packaging 
waste regulation and the regulation on recycled plastics materials to come into contact 
with  food.  It  further  helped  to  take  note  of  progress  under  the  Green  Alliance  with 
ongoing and foreseen cooperation among others on carbon pricing, offshore wind power 
and Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage.  

•  On labour, following the entry into force of the fundamental labour convention C105 
(on  forced  labour)  in  2022,  for  convention  C111  (on  non-discrimination)  on-going 
analytical work to allow for ratification was mentioned by the Japanese side. The EU 
side updated on the Forced Labour Regulation and recent ratification of fundamental 
conventions C155 and C187 (on occupational health and safety) by Member States.  

16 Agenda of the meeting: https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/09242a36-a438-40fd-a7af-
fe32e36cbd0e/library/33d9814e-dd33-4beb-980d-a2abca848933/details  

23 

 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EU-
SOUTH KOREA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The Free Trade Agreement between the EU and its Member States and the Republic of South 
Korea (hereinafter “the EU-South Korea FTA”) has been provisionally applied since July 2011. 
On 13 December 2015 it entered formally into force after ratification by the EU Member States. 
The Additional Protocol to the FTA to take into account the accession of Croatia to the EU has 
been provisionally applied since 26 May 2014 and  formally entered into force on 1 January 
2016. 

The EU-South Korea FTA is the first of a new generation of comprehensive trade agreements 
that -apart from market opening commitments- also offer a basis for regulatory co-operation in 
key sectors, as well as a substantial chapter on sustainable development with binding provisions 
upholding and promoting social and environmental standards. 

A newly created Specialised Committee on Emerging Trade and Economic Issues will meet 
annually and allow to facilitate exchange and deepen mutual understanding of emerging trade 
and economic issues with a view to enable cooperation in building resilient, transparent, and 
sustainable  supply  chains  as  well  as  in  other  specific  topics  with  an  economic  security 
relevance,  including  cybersecurity  and  overcapacity.  It  shall  be  chaired  by  a  Deputy  Trade 
Minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy for South Korea and by equivalent level 
in the Commission’s Directorate General for Trade and Economic Security on the EU side. 

On 10 March 2025, negotiations between the EU and South Korea were politically concluded 
on  a  Digital  Trade  Agreement,  building  on  the  EU-South  Korea  Digital  Trade  Principles 
agreed in 2022. In a meeting between EU Commissioner Šefčovič and South Korea’s Trade 
Minister Cheong the two sides agreed on a set of ambitious, modern digital trade rules, building 
on and complementing the existing preferential trade framework. 

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

The  13-year  old  EU-South  Korea  FTA  remains  a  solid  foundation  for  the  bilateral  trade 
relationship, supporting a robust increase in bilateral trade. Against this background both sides 
continued working constructively on the implementation of the agreement with a number of 
FTA working groups and committees that took place in the first quarter of 2024.  

24 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.1  Market Access: Progress and outstanding issues 

The  12th  EU-  South  Korea  Joint  Trade  Committee  took  place  on  10  March  2025.17  The 
meeting was co-chaired by Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Maroš Šefčovič, 
and the Korean Trade Minister Inkyo Cheong. The two main deliverables of the TC were the 
political conclusion of the above mentioned Digital Partnership Agreement negotiations and 
the establishment of a new FTA Specialised Committee on Emerging Trade and Economic 
Issues. 18 

In 2024, progress was made in implementing the EU–South Korea FTA in a number of areas 
during the reporting period, notably on SPS: 

• 

In  May  and  June  2024,  acknowledging  the  high  level  of  safety  ensured  by  the  EU's 
harmonised food safety control measures South Korea officially opened its market to 
beef from Ireland and France, respectively, and exports have resumed. This follows the 
vote In December 2023 of the South Korean National Assembly in favour of market 
access applications for exports of beef19 from Ireland and France and the opening of 
the Korean market to EU beef from Denmark and the Netherlands in 2019.   

•  Further to the signature of the Administrative Arrangement between the EU and South 
Korea on “cooperation on electronic SPS certification and on SPS certificates for 
exports from the EU” (September 2023), negotiations were concluded in December 
2024  on  the  format  of  three  new  EU-harmonised  export  certificates  for  sterilised 
meat products, dairy products and egg products. EU Member States can use these 
new EU export certificates as of 1st February 2025.  

Apart from SPS, progress was also made in the offshore wind energy sector: 

•  A new legislative proposal passed the National Assembly in March 2025. It will address 
the main regulatory challenges for wind deployment in South Korea, which the EU 
has  been  flagging  for  several  years.  Meanwhile  the  EU  continues  to  closely  follow 
developments  in  the  sector,  advocating  for  predictability  and  transparency  of  both 
permission process and auction rounds. 

The EU continued its engagement with South Korea in the following areas: 

•  Postal  and  courier  services:  Negotiations  with  South  Korea  are  still  ongoing  with  a 
view to setting out the principles of the regulatory framework applicable to postal and 
courier services, as envisaged by Article 7.26 of the EU-South Korea FTA. This will 

17 Joint minutes of the 11th EU-South Korea Trade Committee are available here: relations-negotiations-and-
agreements - Library (europa.eu)  

19 Beef exports from the EU have been banned for more than two decades on the grounds of outbreaks of Bovine 
Spongiforme Encephalopathy (BSE), with Denmark and the Netherlands having had their exports authorised 
again in 2019. 

25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
allow EU suppliers to benefit from legal certainty and transparency and operate in a fair 
postal and courier market. 

•  Electronics annex: The EU is considering various options as to how the Electronics 
Annex to the EU-South Korea FTA can be modified in order to have electronic products 
and  appliances,  that  are  no  longer  covered  by  the  scope  of  the  Annex  due  to 
technological  developments,  benefit  from  streamlined  conformity  assessment 
procedures.  

•  Technical barriers to trade: Following the Trade in Goods Committee in June 2024, 
where the issue regarding conformity testing of infant clothing was discussed, the EU 
contacted the relevant director in the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE) 
by letter in order to detail the difficulties faced by EU industry in trying to authorise 
conformity assessment bodies (CABs) outside  South Korea to carry out the necessary 
conformity testing of infant clothing. These discussions are ongoing. Authorising CABs 
outside South Korea could reduce the costs and the environmental footprint of trade in 
infant clothing.  

•  Automotive Annex: The EU and South Korea have agreed to update the Automotive 
Annex to the EU-South Korea FTA and are engaged in technical discussions based on 
a  proposal  submitted  by  the  EU.  The  update  of  the  annex  is  important  to  reflect  the 
developments in the sector and to give legal certainty to the industry. 

•  Repaired goods: There is no provision in the EU-South Korea FTA exempting repaired 
goods  from  customs  duties  on  re-entry  to  South  Korea  after  repair  in  the  EU. 
Nonetheless, duty exemptions have been effective for repaired aircraft parts for several 
years  and  are  re-confirmed  until  the  end  of  the  year.  In  2026,  unless  South  Korea’s 
National Assembly further renews the existing duty exemption, aircraft parts repaired 
in the EU would be subject to customs duties when re-entering South Korea. Against 
his background, in the interest of both parties, the EU continues to seek a longer-term 
solution to this matter. 

In 2024, the following outstanding issues remained: 

•  SPS: South Korea still does not provide market access for EU beef from all interested 
EU Member States, despite positive developments for two Member States (Ireland and 
France) in 2024 (see above). Since South Korea closed its market to EU beef imports in 
the  early  2000s  on  the  grounds  of  BSE  outbreaks,  only  Denmark,  the  Netherlands, 
Ireland and France have been able to resume exports. Eight Member States (joined by a 
ninth one end of 2024) have been waiting for years for the finalisation of the respective 
approval process. 

•  Regionalisation:  Regarding  South  Korea’s  recognition  of  the  EU’s  regionalisation 
measures  to  control  outbreaks  of  African  swine  fever  and  the  highly  pathogenic 

26 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
avian  influenza,  the  EU  continues  to  closely  monitor  implementation  on the  ground. 
Exports have resumed from some EU Member States (notably pork from Germany) but 
further pork/poultry export establishments from various EU Member States are still to 
be  approved  by  South  Korea.  In  this  context  the  EU  has  been  advocating  for  a 
‘prelisting’ procedure that would significantly facilitate the resumption of exports and 
do away with a burdensome process that requires inspections and replies to extensive 
questionnaires on the part of each applicant EU establishment. 

2.2   Trade and sustainable development: Progress and outstanding issues  

The 10th TSD Committee met on 11 and 12 September 2024.20  

On the implementation of the Panel of Experts’ report of January 202121:  

•  South Korea reported on its efforts towards the ratification of the ILO Convention on 
Abolition  of  Forced  Labour  (ILO  C105).  South  Korea  stated  that  the  punishments 
associated  to  a  number  of  crimes  set  out  in  domestic  law,  particularly  the  National 
Security Act, needed to be overhauled, which requires a comprehensive review on the 
Punishment  System  and national  consensus.  South  Korea  also  stated  that  there  is  no 
forced  labour  in  workplaces  within  the  country.  The  EU  continues  to  follow  the 
ratification process closely.  

•  The  EU  continued  its  engagement  with  South  Korea  on  freedom  of  association, 
monitoring  the  implementation  of  the  amendments  in  the  Trade  Union  and  Labour 
Relations Adjustment Act (TULRAA) required to conform with the Panel report. The 
matter was raised again at the TSD Committee in 2024. Similarly to the year before, 
discussions  mainly  revolved  around  the  possibility  for  dismissed  and  unemployed 
workers to join trade unions, the eligibility of trade union officials, the access of self-
employed workers to trade unions and the certification procedure for trade unions in 
South Korea. The country considers that it has fully implemented the recommendations 
of the Panel Experts by revising the TULRAA, while the EU pointed out that even the 
ILO Committee of Experts on the Applications of Conventions and Recommendations 
(CEACR)  requested  South  Korea  to  take  the  necessary  measures  to  review  the 
legislation in line with the ILO Conventions. The Parties agreed to continue discussions 
at any future occasion. 

•  As regards the functioning of the TSD chapter, on 14 May 2024 the EU and  South 
Korea agreed on a text laying down the measures to strengthen the TSD chapter in line 
with the Commission’s TSD Review Communication.22  

20 Joint minutes are available here: relations-negotiations-and-agreements - Library (europa.eu) 
21 This report as well as other relevant documents are available on the Commission’s webpage at 
https://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/accessing-markets/dispute-settlement/bilateral-disputes/. 
22 “The power of trade partnerships: together for green and just economic growth” adopted on 22 June 2022; 
EUR-Lex - 52022DC0409 - EN - EUR-Lex 

27 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•  The ratification of the last pending fundamental ILO Convention on the Abolition of 
Forced Labour (ILO C105) by South Korea is still outstanding. This was raised again 
during the Trade Committee meeting on 10 March 2025, where the South Korean Trade 
Minister confirmed the country’s commitment to continue efforts towards ratification. 

•  Regarding the EU-Korea Civil Society Forum and the Domestic Advisory Groups, 
the  10th  meeting  of  the  EU-Korea  Civil  Society  Forum  took  place  in  parallel  to  the 
meeting  of  the  10th  TSD  Committee  on  11-12  September  2024  in  Seoul.  The  Civil 
Society Forum discussed questions related to labour and environmental sustainability 
was preceded by a workshop that discussed Artificial Intelligence and its impact on the 
world of work and workers, as well as responses to demographic change stemming from 
low fertility in South Korea. The 29th  meeting of the EU Domestic Advisory Group 
meanwhile  took  place  on  25  November  2024  in  Brussels  and  discussed,  i.a.,  how  it 
might best contribute also to meetings under the FTA and beyond on top of the TSD 
Committee. 

3. 

ACTIVITIES SUBJECT TO SPECIFIC MONITORING   

In accordance with Article 14 of the FTA Protocol on Rules of Origin, South Korea’s imports 
of key car parts from its most important suppliers (outside the EU) have been monitored. Since 
South  Korean  import  patterns  of  electronics  have  remained  very  stable  in  recent  years, 
continued monitoring is no longer necessary. Consistent with previous years, China and Japan 
remain among the largest suppliers of key car parts, with Mexico now emerging as a significant 
supplier as well. 

Many car parts imported in South Korea from Japan are still subject to full duties, as South 
Korea, within the Japan-RCEP, excludes from liberalisation some key car parts such as engines, 
lithium-ion batteries, and a large number of car parts under HS 8708), while imports from China 
benefits from tariff reduction (the South Korea-China Free Trade Agreement liberalised many 
car parts, including lithium-ion batteries). 

South  Korea's  imports  of  core  parts  for  combustion  engine  cars  have  basically  remained 
unchanged compared to last year, except an increase in the import of combustion engines (HS 
8407 – import growth rate in 2024: 37.9%), where Mexico continues to be the largest supplier 
and China is now emerging as a significant supplier as well (import growth rate in 2024: 925%).  

28 

2023 total import (1,000$)2024 total import (1,000$)1st202320242nd 20232024Core car partsHS 8407Spark-ignition reciprocating or rotary internal combustion piston891.6391.229.995Mexico717.593719.643China39.827408.504HS 8408Diesel or semi-diesel engines593.477556.922Japan93.950108China93.23682.761HS 8409Parts of engines of 8407 or 84081.351.3071.261.547China337.423326Japan176.370153.078HS 8708Parts and accessories for motor vehicles of headings 8701 to 87055.066.3385.216.694China2.208.7852.400.066Mexico492.544425.228HS 850760Lithium-ion accumulators8.465.9634.754.948China8.114.0484.053.644Indonesia4.648488.421Source: KITA.org2024 main import sourcing (outside the EU) and evolution of improts (1,000$) 
 
 
 
 
 
In 2024, South Korea experienced a significant decrease in imports of lithium-ion batteries 
(HS  870560),  with  the  import  growth  rate  declining  by  43.8%.  China  continues  to  be  the 
dominant  supplier  by  a  considerable  margin  (China  benefits  from  free  access  to  the  South 
Korean market through to the China-South Korea FTA). Several factors might explain this trend 
including the global slowdown in electric vehicle sales and an increase in domestic production.  

Based on these trade statistics, it is not possible to establish a link between the allowance of 
duty drawback and an increase in EU imports of cars from South Korea. 

29 

 
 
 
 
PART II:  

THE AMERICAS 

30 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EU-
CANADA COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC AND TRADE AGREEMENT (CETA) 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (“CETA”), (hereinafter 
‘the Agreement’) has been provisionally applied since 21 September 2017.  

CETA has been implemented in all those areas that are provisionally applied23. The Agreement 
has  an  extensive  governance/management  structure  with  19  dedicated  committees  and 
dialogues/fora reporting directly to the Joint Committee, which meets at ministerial level.24  

Bilateral trade in goods between the EU and Canada has increased by 63% since 2016, reaching 
EUR 75.6 billion in 2024 up from EUR 46 billion. Bilateral trade in services between the parties 
showed  an  73%  increase  in  2023  as  compared  to  2016,  reaching  EUR  44.4  billion  in  2023 
compared to EUR 25.6 billion in 2016. This shows how well CETA is working for both sides.  

Since January 2024 the remaining tariffs under CETA have been phased out with the exception 
of a very a limited number of products that are traded under tariff rate quotas.  

An  in-depth  ex-post  evaluation  of  CETA  will  be  finalised  in  2025.  An  external  consultant 
delivered an independent study analysing  the economic, social and environmental impact of 
CETA, published on 16 June 2025.25  

CETA also provides a wider framework for the strategic EU-Canada trade and investment 
relationship. The EU and Canada have been expanding their cooperation in areas such the net 
zero  transition  and  climate  change  through  a  Green  Alliance,  have  launched  a  Digital 
Partnership, continue to cooperate through a Strategic Partnership on Raw Materials and are 
building a bilateral dialogue on economic security.  

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

2.1   Market Access: Progress and outstanding issues  

Progress was made in 2024 in the following areas, among others: 

•  Wines  and  spirits/discriminatory  measures:  Certain  discriminatory  measures  were 
removed at provincial level: Québec equalised the charge for wines from Québec small-
scale producers sold in grocery and convenience stores with the mark-up applied to wines 
sold through the Société des alcohols du Québec. Nova Scotia discontinued its Emerging 
Wine Regions Policy at the end of June 2024. Quebec has also eliminated the differential 
markups applied to Champagne and Cognac.  

23 https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-10974-2016-INIT/en/pdf  
24 Reports of the Committees can be found here. 
25 Ex post evaluation of the EU-Canada CETA; draft final report published on 16 June 2025: Circabc 

31 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•  Wines and spirits/geographical indications: On 4 April 2024, the EU and Canada signed 
an amendment to the annexes of the 2003 Agreement between the European Community 
and  Canada  on  trade  in  Wines  and  Spirits  Drinks,  incorporated  into  CETA,  notably  by 
adding 23 EU and 15 Canadian GIs and 17 oenological practices to those annexes. The 
ratification process in Canada was completed in February 2025 and entry into force was 
scheduled for 1 June 2025. In addition, Canada moved the reference to “champagne cider” 
from the main body of its Food and Drug Regulation to the Canadian Food Compositional 
Standards. The EU is still in dialogue with Canada to have the term removed completely. 

•  On the CETA tariff-rate quota (TRQ) for premium cheese granted by Canada to the 
EU, a 95% fill rate was achieved in 2024, with a fill rate of 79% for industrial cheese.  

The EU continued its engagement with Canada in the following areas where outstanding 
issues persist: 

• 

• 

• 

In  regard  to  the  harmonisation  of  EU  export  certificates  work  continued,  with 
priorities  put  forward  by  both  sides.  The  priorities  for  the  EU  are  processed  meat 
sheep/goat meat and casings. The Commission conducted an audit in Canada in 2019 
on bovine and pig  meat  and carried out  a follow-up audit in  2022. The Commission 
closely followed developments in Canada to ensure that appropriate actions were taken 
by the Canadian authorities to address the audit recommendations. In January 2025, the 
Commission  has  completed  the  assessment  of  the  information  and  documentation 
provided by CFIA and has concluded that it was satisfactory. The recommendations of 
the audit are now closed.  

In regard to the cheese TRQ, the pooling system applied by Canada remains of concern 
in view of the reported high transfer rate and subsequent transfer costs, which are passed 
on to consumers, thus reducing the competitiveness of EU products on the Canadian 
market.  The EU has called upon Canada to introduce improvements in the context of 
its comprehensive TRQ review, which has been delayed due to Canada’s disputes with 
the  U.S.  and  New  Zealand  over  the  implementation  of  dairy  TRQs  under  CUSMA 
(Canada-United  States-Mexico  Agreement)  and  the  CPTPP  (Comprehensive  and 
Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership), respectively.  

In regard to sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues, Canada still has to recognise 
Finland and Austria as pest free from the Asian and Citrus longhorned beetles, although 
they have received a disease free status for these pests by the EU. Canada also is yet to 
recognise  the  pest-free  areas  of  Italy,  France,  Croatia  and  Germany.    Canada  has 
recognised 21 EU Member States as pest free from the Asian and Citrus longhorned 
beetles since 2019. These Member States can export plants that have a diameter of 10 
mm (0.4 in) or more at their widest point. Furthermore, the EU continues to discuss the 
possibility  to  export  to  Canada  fresh  tomato  with  vines,  stems,  and  calyces  from  all 
Member  States  as  well  as  cherries  from  Spain  and  has  continued  efforts  to  obtain 

32 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
approval of exports of meat/poultry from EU Member States that are not yet approved 
by Canada for these products. 

• 

In the wines and spirits sector, EU competitors are facing three issues: 1) Differential 
taxes  and  mark-ups  giving  preference  to  local  producers,  2)  measures  that  allow  for 
direct delivery exclusively by local producers, and 3) retroactive chargeback requests 
by  the  liquor  board  of  Ontario  stemming  from  varying  pricing  levels  across  the 
provinces.  These  issues  have  been  repeatedly  raised  by  the  EU  at  the  EU-Canada 
committee meetings, most recently at the meeting of the Committee on Wine and Spirits 
on  18-19  March  2025.  The  Commission  engages  in  dialogue  with  the  federal 
government and the provinces to address these issues, as most recently with letters sent 
directly  to  Quebec,  Ontario,  Alberta,  New  Brunswick,  Nova  Scotia  and  British 
Columbia as well as a meeting with Ontario on 30 April 2025.  

• 

In the area of Intellectual property rights (IPR) the EU continues raising the following 
issues with Canada:  

•  On  geographical  indications  (GIs),  Canada  lacks  an  appropriate  administrative 
procedure for rightholders to enforce their rights. In the absence of such a procedure, 
litigation is the only effective route at rightholders’ disposal, with all the costs that 
this entails. Nevertheless, a number of EU rightholders have successfully enforced 
their rights by sending Cease and Desist letters directly to companies alleged to be 
infringing  their  rights,  as  advised  by  the  Canadian  authorities.  Canada  has  also 
informed the Canadian Provinces of EU GI rights and has published web content to 
inform  Canadian  stakeholders  of  their  rights  and  obligations  regarding  GI 
enforcement in the Canadian market. 

•  Other  areas  of  concern  regard  trademarks,  where  the  Canadian  Intellectual 
Property Office can take more than three years to process applications. Canada has 
taken measures to address the delays via fast-tracking applications and sending pre-
assessment  letters,  aiming  to  restore  turnaround  times  to  "internationally 
comparable standards" by 202626. 

•  Regarding  border  enforcement,  stakeholders  report  a  significant  decrease  in 

seizures and costly and burdensome detentions. 

• 

In the area of copyright, EU stakeholders keep reporting concerns on the scope of 
exceptions for teaching purposes. 

26  CIPO 2023-2026 Business Strategy.  
https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/canadian-intellectual-property-
office/sites/default/files/attachments/2023/CIPOCS-1884_Business_Strategy-eng.pdf  

33 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Mutual Recognition of the Authorised Economic Operator Programme adopted by the 
CETA Joint Customs Cooperation Committee at its meeting on 28 October 202227 entered into 
force  on  1st  August  2025.  It  marks  an  important  milestone  in  the  implementation  of  the 
Agreement between the EU and Canada on customs cooperation with respect to matters related 
to  supply-chain  security  (SCSA).  The  programme  strengthens  transatlantic  customs 
cooperation,  improves  supply  chain  security,  and  further  facilitates  bilateral  trade  between 
Canada and the EU. 

New market access barriers were registered in 2024 in the following areas:  

•  Services: A levy on foreign online music streaming services as the Canadian Radio 
and  Television  Commission  (CRTC)  announced  its  decision  to  impose  a  5%  “base 
contribution” on online music streaming services that make 25 million Canadian Dollars 
(CAD)  or  more  in  annual  revenues  and  that  are  not  affiliated  with  a  Canadian 
broadcaster. To implement the measure, Canada envisages the creation of a mechanism 
by  which  streaming  companies  will  be  able  to  demonstrate  and  quantify  the 
contributions  their  services  make  to  the  creation  of  Canadian  music,  mirroring  the 
contributions in-kind which traditional broadcasters make. However, the mechanism is 
not yet developed and a consultation on what constitutes Canadian content for TV and 
online streaming was organised end of 2024-beginning of 2025. It is not yet clear how 
the definition of “Canadian content” is to be applied by online undertakings.  

Finally,  regulatory  cooperation  between  the  EU  and  Canada  continued  in  2024  in  the 
following areas:  

• 

In  June  2024  the  Regulatory  Cooperation  Forum  (RCF)  organised  a  stakeholder 
roundtable that focused on regulatory cooperation between Canada and the European 
Union  (EU)  in  the  field  of  hydrogen.  The  purpose  of  the  roundtable  was  to  better 
understand  the  needs,  challenges,  and  opportunities  for  regulatory  cooperation  and 
alignment between Canada and the EU in the field of hydrogen, with specific interest to 
learn more about current & anticipated regulatory barriers to trade between Canada and 
the EU in the hydrogen sector; policy approaches that the hydrogen industry feels have 
been, or could be, beneficial to encouraging trade and investment; specific areas of the 
hydrogen  value  chain  where  standards  development  and/or  alignment  should  be 
prioritized; and, any other opportunities for regulatory cooperation in this sector. 

• 

In addition, the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Canadian 
Hydrogen Association and Hydrogen Europe took place by the Canadian Hydrogen 
Association and Hydrogen Europe.  

27 EUR-Lex - 22025D1428 - EN - EUR-Lex 

34 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.2 

Trade and sustainable development: Progress and outstanding issues  

At  the  sixth  and  seventh  meeting  of  the  CETA  Trade  and  Sustainable  Development 
Committee, which took place on 10 and 11 April 2024 and on 20 March 2025, respectively, 
the EU and Canada reviewed a number of implementation issues, including the following:  

•  On the implementation of the CETA Trade and Gender Recommendation28, exchanges 
and events aimed at sharing information on policies, laws and best practices on a range 
of issues, continued. On 19 March 2024, a workshop on Trade, Gender and SMEs was 
organised in the context of the 2024 Civil society Forum, and in April 2024 an event in 
Toronto on supporting women in international trade. 

•  On corporate social responsibility (CSR) and responsible business conduct (RBC), 
both Parties recognized that the relevant experts were in touch and are planning to share 
best practices. 

• 

• 

In the area of trade and labour, the parties highlighted their joint priorities, including 
an  overview  of  their  respective  technical  assistance  projects  in  third  countries  to 
promote  and  protect  fundamental  labour  rights,  their  efforts  to  ratify  International 
Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions, particularly Occupational Safety and Health 
Conventions,  as  well  as  their  respective  policy  and  legislative  initiatives  to  combat 
forced  and  child  labour,  including  in  global  supply  chains.  Mindful  of  the  Domestic 
Advisory Groups working priorities, the Parties committed to reinforce coordination on 
cooperation  in  third  countries,  focusing  on  supply  chains  and  the  most  vulnerable 
groups. 

In the area of environment and climate action, the EU and Canada updated each other 
on their respective developments in these fields including ongoing bilateral and regional 
trade and environment negotiations.  Canada and the EU reaffirmed their alignment on 
issues raised during the Civil Society Forum, which included carbon pricing, the ban on 
single use plastics and circular economy.  Canada and the EU agreed that joint action 
under the framework of the Green Alliance was a top priority to help achieve the shared 
aim of becoming climate-neutral by 2050. The Parties discussed avenues for potential 
next  steps  on  bilateral  cooperation  regarding  raw  materials,  biodiversity  loss,  and 
addressing  the  full  life  cycle  of  plastics.  At  the  latest  meeting  the  EU  also  informed 
Canada  of  the  direction  that  the  new  Commission  was  taking  on  environment  and 
climate issues.   

In line with previous CETA TSD Committee meetings, the Committee was joined by the Chairs 
of the Canadian and the EU Domestic Advisory Groups (DAGs) under CETA and welcomed 
their  feedback  and  suggestions  for  collaboration  under  the  CETA  TSD  chapter,  including  a 
request to have more informal interim discussions with the TSD co-chairs on related updates. 
The DAGs’ Chairs highlighted that this later request has gained importance since the global 

28 CETA Trade and Gender Recommendation: EU-Canada Work Plan 2020-2021  

35 

 
 
 
landscape  experiences  substantial  instability  and  by  contrast  CETA  provides  stability  and 
predictability.   

The 6th and 7th CETA Civil Society Forum met on 18-19 March 2024 and 18-19 March 2025 
with participants from across the EU and Canada from business, social partners, environmental 
organizations and other civil society representatives. In 2025, thematic sessions explored the 
following topics: (i) the EU Roadmap for Women’s rights; (ii) Trade diversification: challenges 
and  opportunities  for  cooperation;  (iii)  EU  study  on  the  impact  of  EU  FTAs  on  key 
environmental factors including climate; (iv) Aligning environmental and climate sustainability 
with  economic  growth;  (v)  International  impacts  of  the  EU  seals  regime;  (vi)  Canada-EU 
Cooperation on Labour standards. 

36 

 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EU-
COLOMBIA/ECUADOR/PERU TRADE AGREEMENT 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The  Trade  Agreement  with  Colombia  and  Peru  (hereinafter  the  ‘Agreement’)  has  been 
provisionally applied with Peru since 1 March 2013 and with Colombia since 1 August 2013. 
Negotiations on a Protocol of Accession of Ecuador to the Agreement were concluded in July 
2014 and the Protocol is being provisionally applied since 1 January 2017. Following Belgium’s 
ratification  of  the  Agreement  and  Luxembourg’s  ratification  of  the  Accession  Protocol  of 
Ecuador  in  2024,  the  EU  notified  in  October  to  the  Andean  partners  the  ratification  of  the 
Agreement  and  the  Agreement  entered  fully  into  force  on  1  November  2024.  The  Trade 
Agreement was also amended through the Protocol of Accession of Croatia to the EU. The 
Protocol  entered  into  force  with  Peru  on  1  May  2017.  Colombia  has  not  yet  approved  the 
Protocol of Accession. 

The supervision and facilitation of the operation and further development of the Agreement – 
including the evaluation of results obtained from the application of the Agreement – is under 
the direct responsibility of the Trade Committee, which comprises representatives of the EU 
and representatives of each signatory Andean Country. The Committee also supervises the work 
of  all  specialised  bodies  (e.g.  the  Subcommittees)  established  under  the  Agreement.  The 
decisions  adopted  by  the  Committee  are  binding  upon  the  Parties,  which  are  to  take  all 
necessary  measures  to  implement  them.  The  Trade  Committee  is  scheduled  to  meet  at  least 
once a year. 

The  Agreement  has  helped  to  stabilise  trade  despite  fluctuations  in  commodity  prices.  It 
constitutes a contributing factor supporting the diversification of the economy of the three EU 
trading partners and a good basis for cooperation.  

The Commission’s Staff Working Document29 concluding the ex-post evaluation of the EU’s 
FTAs30 with the Andean partners (Colombia/Peru/Ecuador) was published in October 2023. 
Based on the findings of these ex-post evaluation and Staff Working Documents conclusions 
the EU will consider the possibility of a targeted update of the Agreement in line with its trade 
policy objectives, particularly in the area of trade and sustainable development.  

29 See DG TRADE website, ex-post evaluation page link: https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/analysis-and-
assessment/ex-post-evaluations_en  
30 The full document is available here: https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/analysis-and-assessment/ex-post-
evaluations_en  

37 

 
 
 
 
 
 2.  MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

The 11th Trade Committee met in Brussels, on 29 November 2024. The meetings of the eight 
specialised  Subcommittees  took  place  in  hybrid  format  during  the  months  of  October  and 
November 2024. The next (12th) Trade Committee will be chaired by Peru. 

2.1  Market Access: Progress and outstanding issues 

Colombia 

In  2024,  the  EU  Delegation  continued  to  work  hand  in  hand  with  Member  States  and  EU 
companies  to  tackle  barriers  notably  in  the  automotive,  electrical  equipment,  food  and 
beverages, cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors. 

Progress was made on the following issues, among others: 

•  2024 saw the resumption of EU mustard exports to Colombia after the modification 
of sodium limits. Also, concerns by the EU automotive industry on the implementation 
of vehicles’ safety technical regulations were heard and their entry into force postponed, 
ensuring full alignment with UNECE 58. The EU is supporting Colombia’s accession 
procedure to the UNECE 58 Agreement.   

•  On  pharma,  the  regulatory  changes  aimed  at  speeding  up  the  renewal  of  existing 
marketing authorisations the EU had pushed for, translated into a significant reduction 
of pending approval procedures for pharmaceuticals. Additionally, the EU carried out a 
study  under  the  programme  of  the  European  Commission  for  Trade,  Private  Sector 
Development  and  Engagement,  and  Employability  (TPSDE  Facility)  to  diagnose 
INVIMA’s31 pharma and food supplements approval procedures, a stepping stone in the 
EU’s  work  to  further  reduce  approval  times,  which  despite  recent  improvements, 
remains a concern for EU industry.  

A number of other outstanding market access issues persist, including the following: 

•  Colombia has not yet modified Decree 162 on the certification requirements for Good 

Manufacturing Practices for alcoholic beverages.  

•  The concerns of European companies of the electric and lighting industry have not been 
addressed in the modification of the RETIE and RETILAP technical regulations. 

31 Instituto Nacional de Vigilancia de Medicamentos y Alimentos (National Food and Drug Surveillance 
Authority) 
I 

38 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•  EU  companies  have  faced  new  obstacles  in  public  procurement.  This  is  because 
Colombia does  not  apply national  treatment  to  those  tendering procedures  which are 
delegated by FTA covered entities to non-covered entities. 

•  Lack  of  recognition  of  regionalization  principle  in  connection  with  ASF  and  avian 

influenza diseases.  

WTO dispute on Colombian anti-dumping duties on frozen fries 

In regard to WTO Dispute DS 591 (Colombia-Frozen Fries from Belgium, Germany and the 
Netherlands)  the  Commission  launched  on  31  May  2024  compliance  proceedings  against 
Colombia after the country failed to comply with the MPIA’s finding of December 2022 in the 
Commission’s favour, concluding that Colombia’s anti-dumping measures imposed on frozen 
fries from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands were in breach of WTO rules. 

Background: 

The EU successfully challenged Colombia’s anti-dumping measures against exports of frozen 
fries  from  Belgium,  Germany  and  the  Netherlands  at  the  WTO  (DS  591  Colombia  Frozen 
Fries). The final and binding award of the Appeal Arbitrators was issued to the parties on 13 
December 2022. On 10 March 2023, Colombia and the European Union informed the DSB that 
they had agreed that the reasonable period for Colombia to implement the recommendations of 
the arbitrators' award would expire on 5 November 2023. At the DSB meeting of 18 December 
2023, Colombia presented its Status Report under Article 21.6 of the Understanding on Rules 
and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (“DSU”) regarding the implementation 
of the Award of the Arbitrators in this dispute (WT/DS591/12) and claimed that “it has fully 
implemented  the  relevant  panel  and  arbitral  findings  and  has  complied  with  its  WTO 
obligations.” However, it appears that Colombia’s implementing measures are inconsistent with 
the Anti-Dumping Agreement. On 31 May 2024, the EU launched compliance consultations 
with  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. On 
14 November 2024 the EU requested the establishment of a compliance panel. Proceedings are 
currently ongoing. 

Peru 

Progress was made by Peru in 2024 in the following areas: 

•  The cross-border provision of services, as Peru’s Fisheries Health Agency for the first 
time accepted the request  of an EU laboratory to  act  as  an official  testing  entity  and 
perform the analysis needed for the issuing of SPS certificates for exports of food and 
feed.  A similar  authorisation by the Agricultural  Health  Competent  Authority is  still 
pending. 

•  After  the  archivisation  of  the  Community  Risk  Analysis  (ARC)  by  the  Andean 
Community,  Peru  agreed  that  the  risk  analysis  on  Italian  Pork  products  should  be 

39 

 
 
 
 
 
 
conducted by Peruvian authorities. This simplifies the life of EU exporters as Andean 
Community legislation in this area will not be a limiting factor and risks assessment will 
be done by the individual countries. 

•  Partial progress was achieved in the field of public procurement where the present 
technical  specifications  are  tailored  to  US  standards  and  discriminate  against  EU 
suppliers,  precluding  them  from  either  participating  or  being  selected  or  by  putting 
them  at  a  competitive  disadvantage  vis-à-vis  their  US  rivals  (in  particular  since  the 
burden of proof is on the tenderer). However, in 2024 Peru adopted a new law on public 
procurement,  which  integrates  the  value  for  money  principle,  representing  a  major 
achievement. The implementation regulation is pending, and developments are being 
monitored by the EU. 

 A number of challenges persisted in 2024: 

•  Among others, Peru continues to grant a more favourable tax treatment to local ‘Pisco’ 
to the detriment of EU alcoholic beverages. Unlike other alcoholic beverages which 
are subject to the Impuesto Selectivo al Consumo or ISC (a “vice tax”) according to 
their degree Pisco, the national beverage, has its own beneficial regime.  

•  Peru  has  yet  to  approve  harmonised  certificates  to  allow  prelisting  for  EU 
establishments of 1) meat products from pork, bovines and poultry; 2) bovine deboned 
meat and 3) bovine deboned hams. According to Peru, the three certificates are awaiting 
their final publication by SENASA, the Animal Health Authority.  

•  Peru does not recognise the regionalisation principle enshrined in the Agreement. In 
early 2022 Peru placed a ban on all imports of live pigs and pig meat from Italy due to 
a limited, and subsequently controlled, outbreak of ASF (African Swine Fever) found 
in wild boar in two regions in the north of the Italian territory. As of September 2023, 
there are 15 Member States struck by this ban: Germany, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, 
Slovakia,  Estonia,  Greece,  Hungary,  Italy,  Latvia,  Lithuania,  Poland,  Czechia, 
Romania and Sweden. 

•  Peru is also ignoring the principle of safe commodities as defined by the WOAH, 
banning the importation of Italian pork products (NB: the existing sanitary certificates 
no longer appear on SENASA’s32 webpage), without notification to Italy or the EU and 
without conducting an immediate risk analysis to justify it. Instead, Peru required Italy 
to  request  a  Communitarian  Risk  Analysis  (ARC)  performed  by  the  Andean 
Community (while normal procedure would be for Peru to request it).  Although the 
ARC has been archived, the risk analysis that is to be conducted by SENASA is still in 
progress, pending necessary information requested to Italy.  

32 This protocol (based on WOAH protocols) defines what can be considered a safe commodity.   

40 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
• 

In the area of IPR, some cases of infringement of EU Geographical Indications (GI) 
were reported. In addition, six GIs listed in the Agreement are not protected in Peru as 
the requirement to register domestically is not fulfilled. Procedures to register under the 
Peruvian  domestic  system  were  not  pursued  or  companies  abandoned  them  due  to 
burdensome administrative procedures. In addition, Peruvian legislation does not allow 
for  registration  of  GIs,  which  are  already  registered  as  trademarks  and  does  not 
recognise  the  different  scope  of  various  legal  instruments  for  protection  (e.g.  Peru 
protects GIs under its domestic legislation, the EU-Colombia/Peru/Ecuador Free Trade 
Agreement as well as the Lisbon Agreement and the Geneva Act).    

Ecuador 

In 2024, a number of market access barriers were successfully addressed with Ecuador.  

•  Following a meeting with the new Minister of Production in early 2025, the National 
Agency  for  Regulation,  Control,  and  Health  Surveillance  (ARCSA)  informed  the 
cosmetics  sector  that  the  import  restriction  related  to  additional  labelling 
requirements had been lifted, pending the establishment of an Andean Community-
wide standard. 

• 

In  September  2023,  the  flower  industry  filed  a  complaint  about  lack  of  efficient 
protection  and  enforcement  of  Plant  Varieties  rights  (IPR)  by  Peru.  EU  Delegation 
advocacy led the Ministry of Finance to reduce licensing fees from USD 540 to USD 
57, effective as of May 2024, and to increase the operational budget of the IP Office 
(SENADI33).  

A number of challenges persist: 

•  Despite the introduction of a "solution" in November 2022 (Decree 017/202) to address 
the  long-standing  barrier  and  the  previous  disruptive  and  opaque  management  of 
TRQs applied by Ecuador to certain agricultural imports from the EU, issues persist. 
EU  Member  States  continue  to  voice  concerns  about  the  lack  of  transparency  in  the 
licence-granting process, particularly  regarding powdered milk  imports from  the EU. 
During  the  Trade  Committee  meeting  in  November  2024,  the  EU  insisted  on 
implementing a first-come, first-served system for TRQ management, as outlined in the 
FTA and like the system used by Peru and Colombia.  

•  Regarding the protection of plant varieties, the Ecuadorian IP Code of 2016 contains 
a number of provisions that raise concerns. In addition, registration fees for new varieties 
and maintenance fees are exorbitant and must be substantially lowered if Ecuador wants 
to attract new plant varieties registrations. The competent authorities (SENADI) do not 
sanction  farmers  that  cultivate,  sell  or  export  protected  plant  variety  without  paying 

33 Servicio Nacional de Derechos Intelectuales 

41 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
royalties to the rightholders. Ecuador’s flower exports (roses) to the EU represent close 
to EUR 400 million in 2024, almost 50% of the Peru’s total production. A study by IP 
Key in 2024 highlighted the significance of the rose production sector to the Ecuadorian 
economy  and  proposed  strategies  for  enhancing  traceability  to  prevent  the  export  of 
counterfeit roses to the EU, where most investors in the development of new varieties 
are based. 

• 

 In relation to EU Geographical Indications (GIs), the usurpation of the EU GI “Feta” 
case  remains  outstanding  since  several  years  and  other  alleged  usurpations  of  EU 
protected terms of cheese had been observed. 

2.2 

Trade and sustainable development: Progress and outstanding issues  

The  implementation  of  the  TSD  Chapter  was  reviewed  at  the  meeting  of  the  TSD 
Subcommittee held in November 2024, hosted by the EU, where the Parties discussed recent 
policy developments related to labour and the environment, TSD-related cooperation activities 
and relevant priorities. The EU exchanged with the Andean partners to maintain the level of 
detailed engagement. 

Regarding labour issues, the EU focusses on labour inspections, freedom of association and 
collective  bargaining,  child  labour,  social  dialogue  and  labour  informality.  Concerning 
environmental policies, priorities have expanded to include legislative developments in areas 
related  to  circular  economy,  biodiversity,  deforestation,  and  initiatives  to  address  global 
environmental challenges and decarbonisation.  

Vis-à-vis Colombia 

•  Fruitful exchanges continued in 2024, the EU welcoming Colombia’s commitment to 
make  progress  on  core  labour  issues,  namely  freedom  of  association,  child  labour, 
labour inspection and the fight against informality. In that respect, the EU confirmed its 
readiness  to  support  Colombia’s  labour  reform,  which  addresses  many  of  these 
priorities.  The  EU  also  signalled  its  willingness  to  develop  bilateral  technical 
issues, 
cooperation  projects,  notably  on  collective  bargaining,  subcontracting 
administrative procedures, judicial redress and the employment situation in the mining 
sector.  

• 

In 2024, through its cooperation projects, the EU continued to support Colombia’s move 
towards  a  more  sustainable  and  environmentally  friendly  economy,  including  the 
promotion  of  Responsible  Business  Conduct  and  the  adoption  of  Low  Carbon  and 
Circular  Economy  business  actions  and  the  compliance  with  the  EUDR  Regulation 
through the Traceability for export products and sustainability in Colombia project. 

•  The  EU  confirmed  that  it  stands  ready  to  join  international  cooperation  between  the 
ILO,  the  OECD,  Spain  and  Mexico,  to  support  reform.  The  EU  also  welcomed 
Colombia’s national plan aiming to strengthen labour inspections.  

42 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Vis-à-vis Peru 

•  Exchanges touched upon various topics of concern in the area of labour, in particular 
the persistent challenges to the freedom of association, child labour, labour inspection, 
fight against informality and the need to continue with domestic reforms to implement 
core ILO recommendations. The EU welcomed the successful bilateral talks with Peru 
to  cooperate  on  labour  issues  of  common  interest  such  as  on  strengthening  labour 
inspections,  with  a  special  focus  in  specific  regions  or  sectors  such  as  mining  and 
agriculture, freedom of association and collective bargaining to include subcontracted 
workers, child labour and social dialogue.  

•  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 first phase, to be developed in 2025, will 
include cooperation to strengthen labour inspection and social dialogue, in particular 
with a support to the National Council for Labour and the Promotion of Employment 
(CNTPE).   

•  The EU continued its bilateral engagement with Peru on the EU Deforestation-free 
products regulation34, which sets out due diligence rules for operators and traders of a 
list of products, without discrimination. In 2024, the EU by way of its Al Invest Verde 
programme  supported  the  geolocation  of  64  000  plots  whose  information  would  be 
inputted  in  the  Padrón  de  Productores  Agrarios  (PPA),  a  registry  of  agricultural 
producers set up by the Ministry of Agriculture (450.000 euros). The EU, together with 
the German GIZ35 and the Dutch government also finances the SAFE program to help 
in the adaptation to the EUDR and promote sustainability in the coffee and cocoa value 
chains (EUR 4.5 million). The European Forest  Institute is also providing short term 
technical assistance.  

•  The EU side provided information  on the  Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism 
(CBAM), designed to ensure the EU can meet its climate targets for 2030 and 2050 in 
a way that is not undermined by the risk of carbon leakage, while giving incentives to 
our partners around the world to move in the same direction. The EU side underlined 
how the CBAM does not preclude progress in terms of international coordination for 
the adoption of effective measures such as carbon  pricing  and stressed that the main 
principles of the CBAM underline its compatibility with WTO rules. 

•  Regarding the environment, there is interest in exchanges on the European Green Deal 
and  other  EU  climate  policies.  There  is  shared  interest  by  all  parties  on  issues  like 
circular  economy,  deforestation  and  biodiversity.  Efforts  continue  to  strengthen  the 

34 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32023R1115&qid=1687867231461  
35 Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer internationale Zusammenarbeit 

43 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
institutional setting for environmental monitoring and the enforcement of environmental 
legislation. Peru also reported on advances in the area of air quality. 

The EU is making available further technical support to the Peruvian Labour Ministry, in 
particular. Among the environmental topics, the EU stressed the need to continue building the 
capacity and strengthen the systems for environmental quality control.  

Vis-à-vis Ecuador: 

• 

the EU side welcomed and acknowledged the efforts made by Ecuador through various 
public projects to improve the formal market entry (into the labour market?) of young 
people, specifically women and adults aged 45-64 to reduce informality. The EU also 
recalled  its  strong  interest  in  ensuring  effective  trade  union  freedom,  and  in 
eradicating  forced  labour,  in  particular  in  the  agricultural  and  mining  sectors, 
strengthening labour inspections and addressing occupational, security and health issues 
at work, with a particular focus on health in the agricultural sector. The EU recalled its 
willingness to support social dialogue in Ecuador. 

• 

If  the  EU  welcomed  the  recognition,  end  2023  of  the  Board  of  the  Trade  Union 
Association of Agricultural and Peasant Banana Workers (“Asociación Sindical de 
Trabajadores Agrícolas y Campesinos” or ASTAC), the freedom of association is still 
a pending issue in 2024 for other sectors and groups that are seeking such recognition.  

•  The EU highlighted its readiness to develop granular technical cooperation in labour 
matters, like the on-going technical cooperation developed with Peru and Colombia   

The  Andean  Community  Domestic  Advisory  Group  (DAG)  still  lacks  autonomy  in  its 
monitoring of the FTA. The EU clarified that it stands ready to further support the functioning 
of  both  Domestic  Advisory  Groups  (DAGs),  in  terms  of  transparency  and  composition, 
including through financial support (secretariat, mobility). In that context, the EU underscored 
the  various  actions  highlighted  in  the  EU  TSD  review  Communication  related  to  DAGs, 
notably  reinforced  engagement  with  civil  society.  The  Parties  agreed  to  continue  their 
exchanges on the framework for civil society dialogue in their respective jurisdictions.  

3.  

ACTIVITIES SUBJECT TO SPECIFIC MONITORING  

3.1 

Banana imports from Colombia, Ecuador and Peru 

The Agreement provides for a preferential customs duty on bananas under heading 0803.00.19 
(fresh  bananas),  progressively  reduced  since  the  date  of  provisional  application  of  the 
Agreement  until  the  year  2020  (following  a  schedule  indicated  in  a  tariff  reduction  table). 
Customs Tariffs have stabilised to 75 euros/tonne since 1 January 2020.  This treatment was 
linked to  a ‘stabilisation clause’ setting out  an annual  trigger volume for imports from  each 
Andean country during the transition period.  

44 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Article 15 of Regulation (EU) No 19/201336 provided for the banana stabilisation mechanism 
(BSM). When the annual trigger volume of imports per country as set in the Agreement was 
met, the Commission examined the impact of these imports on the situation of the Union market 
for bananas to take a decision to either temporarily suspend the preferential customs duty or 
determine that such suspension was not appropriate. The stabilisation mechanism ended on 31 
December 2019.  

Country 

Colombia  
Ecuador  
Peru  
Total 

2023 Total 
imports  
(tonnes) 

1 223 133 
1 599 540 
81 351 
2 904 024 

2024 Total imports  

Variation 2023 vs. 2024 

(tonnes) 

1 280 502 
1 671 387 
85 808 
3 037 696 

+5% 
+4% 
+5% 
+5% 

As the above table shows, in 2024 EU imports of fresh bananas from Colombia amounted to 
thousand  tonnes,  %  less  than  in  previous  year.  Ecuador  exported  thousand  tonnes  of  fresh 
bananas to the EU a roughly % more than the previous year. Peru exported 80 thousand tonnes 
of fresh bananas to the EU a roughly % below to previous year.  

36 Regulation (EU) No 19/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2013 implementing the bilateral 
safeguard clause and the stabilisation mechanism for bananas of the Trade Agreement between the European Union and its 
Member States, of the one part, and Colombia and Peru, of the other part as amended by Regulation (EU) 2017/540 of the 
European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017. 

45 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PART IV OF 
THE ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND ITS MEMBER 
STATES AND CENTRAL AMERICA 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The  Association  Agreement  between  the  EU  and  its  Member  States,  on  the  one  hand,  and 
Central  America,  on  the  other  (hereinafter  referred  to  as  the  "Association  Agreement")  was 
signed on 29 June 2012. The trade pillar (Part IV) of the Association Agreement (hereinafter 
referred to as the “Trade Agreement") was provisionally applied for almost eleven years, i.e. 
since 1 August 2013 with Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, since 1 October 2013 with Costa 
Rica and El Salvador, and since 1 December 2013 with Guatemala. On 17 January 2024, the 
ratification procedures of the association agreement by Member States were finalised. On 12 
April  2024,  the  Council  adopted  a  decision  to  conclude  the  agreement  establishing  an 
association between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central 
America  on  the  other.  The  EU-Central  America  Association  Agreement  entered  into  full 
application on 1 May 2024. 

The  Trade  Agreement  is  in  a  process  of  amendment  through  the  signature  of  a  Protocol  of 
Croatia’s Accession to the Association Agreement. The Protocol was signed on 26 November 
2020, opening the way for a process of ratification by the parties. The EU ratified the Protocol 
in July 2021, and Central American countries are also advancing in this process (El Salvador, 
Guatemala and Nicaragua ratified the protocol in 2022).  

The Association Agreement with Central America is a regional agreement, characterised by 
its  comprehensive  nature  and  a  high  level  of  ambition.  During  the  eleven  years  of  its 
application,  the  Trade  Agreement  has  worked  well,  it  has  contributed  towards  increase  in 
bilateral  trade,  stability  and  predictability  of  the  trade  and  investment  environment,  thus 
promoting the expansion of export-oriented trade, both in terms of operators and in terms of the 
number of products. Eleven years after its implementation, the Agreement offers useful tools 
for trade and so is relevant in responding to the current needs and issues of both Parties. The 
Agreement has reached a certain level of maturity, the process of liberalisation has now been 
achieved, and dialogue is regular and active, rendering the Agreement fully relevant.  

The  Association  Committee  and 
implementation of the Agreement37. 

its  six  specialised  Subcommittees  oversee 

the 

37  The  Agreement  establishes  six  specialized  Subcommittees:  Market  Access;  Agriculture;  Customs,  Trade 
Facilitation and Rules of Origin; Technical Obstacles to Trade; Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures; Government 
Procurement; Intellectual Property; and Trade and Sustainable Development.  

46 

 
 
 
 
 
 
2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

2.1    Market Access: Progress and outstanding issues 

2024,  more  generally,  saw  more  open  and  solution-oriented  discussions  with  Central 
American partners regarding concrete implementation gaps, challenges and opportunities, in 
specific  countries/regions/sectors.  In  particular,  the  ex-post  evaluation  (Commission  staff 
working document published in June 202338) helped spark constructive exchanges.  

The Association Committee met on 20 June 2024 at senior official level in Brussels.  

•  On Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, Central American countries confirmed the 
application  of  the  regionalisation  principle.  Discussion  on  the  “born  and  raised” 
clauses in export certificates resulted in Costa Rica and Guatemala eliminating these 
clauses, but talks with the other Central American countries are ongoing. Following an 
application from Costa Rica to include cassava (yuca) among fresh vegetables to which 
additives can be used, the EU is in the process of finalising legislative changes with EU 
Member States, according to EU Regulation (EC) 1333/2008.  

•  On Public Procurement, the secretariat for economic integration in Central America 
(SIECA) reported on progress made on the functioning of a single point of access for 
procurement notices in the region,  to which Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and 
Panama will link their national procurement portals. The portal provides information 
about the value of public tenders in Central American countries.  

The Commission continued to engage with Central America on the following issues: 

•  On Intellectual Property Rights, the Commission continued to engage with Central 
American authorities to enhance enforcement of all 116 EU GIs protected and to achieve 
effective protection of the term “Parmigiano Reggiano” in Guatemala. an application 
for a new GI from Costa Rica has been submitted in 2024 and is currently assessed. The 
Commission  also  engaged  with  Central  American  authorities  on  counterfeiting  and 
application of trademark rights in the region. 

•  On Customs, Trade Facilitation and Rules of Origin, the parties updated each other 
on  relevant  developments  in  their  respective  customs  legislation  and  procedures. 
Discussions continued how to improve the rules on direct transport.  

The EU side continued to raise a number of outstanding issues with Central American partners:  

•  Discussions with Guatemala and El Salvador continued at the Association Committee 
to see how to replace the 15% tuna tolerance rule for non-originating tuna by an -
increase of non-originating tuna quota. Technical meetings continued in January, June 

38   See DG TRADE website, ex-post evaluation page link: https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/analysis-and-
assessment/ex-post-evaluations_en  

47 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
and  December  2024  in  view  of  finding  a  possible  solution  during  the  next  trade 
association  committee.  Delays  still  are  still  experienced  in  Guatemala  in  regard  to 
prelisting of authorised establishments for meat and dairy. 

• 

In  Panama,  several  Member  States’  export  applications  for  meat  products  are 
pending since 2016. Delays are also reported in export applications of several Member 
States and in the publication of prelisting of EU establishments habilitated to export 
animal products to Panama. The setting up of a new Food Safety Agency in Panama in 
October 2021 has increased the uncertainty on the administrative process to register or 
update pre-approval of EU establishment. Bilateral meetings at technical level were held 
in June 2024, to clarify administrative processes, and explore way forward concerning 
pending applications.  

•  On Technical Barriers to Trade, in respect of Annex XX of the Agreement (requiring 
the adoptions of harmonised regional technical standards by Central America), those 
relating  to  pesticides  are  still  outstanding  due  to  lack  of  consensus  at  policy  level. 
Central America agreed to provide further details in writing on the state of play.  

2.2 

Trade and sustainable development: Progress and outstanding issues 

The  implementation  of  the  Trade  and  Sustainable  Development  (TSD)  Title  of  the 
Association Agreement continued in 2024 in line with the priority issues established for each 
partner country.  

The discussion at the TSD Board meeting- which took place on 17 and 18 June 2024 – was 
informed by an update on the EU autonomous measures having an impact on both trade and 
sustainable  development  (such  as  the  EU  Deforestation  Regulation,  the  EU  Directive  on 
Corporate  Sustainability  Due  Diligence  (CSDDD),  the  EU  Regulation  prohibiting  products 
made  with  forced  labour,  the  EU  Carbon  Border  Adjustment  Mechanism  (CBAM),  the  EU 
Directive  on  improving  working  conditions  in  platform  work  and  the  EU  Regulation  on 
shipments  of waste.  A number of Central  American  countries also  provided an overview of 
their own relevant policy development.  

As regards the strengthening of the TSD chapter, the parties agreed to discuss it in a number 
of intersessional meetings and to report back to the Association Committee in Trade Format 
which will meet in San José on 23 and 24 June 2025. The discussions at the TSD Board meeting 
were prepared by a series of bilateral meetings held between the Central American countries 
and the EU in April and May 2024, with the objective of presenting progress, challenges and 
issues of interest related to the implementation of the labour and environmental commitments.  

•  On  labour,  priority  issues  discussed  with  all  six  partners  included  freedom  of 
association  and  collective  bargaining,  social  dialogue,  child  labour  and  forced 
labour, and labour inspections among others.  

48 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
• 

 On the environment, the EU and Central America presented their recent actions and 
achievements, notably regarding progress made in the implementation of Multilateral 
Environmental Agreements  such as the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the 
Convention  on  Biological  Diversity.  The  six  Central  American  partners  voiced  their 
concerned  about  the  EU  autonomous  measures  and  their  impact  on  their  trading 
opportunities, in particular the EU Deforestation Regulation. 

As regards cooperation and technical assistance, the EU provided information on a number 
of projects, such as “Grandes Bosques” and “Café y Bosques”, “Zero deforestation and digital 
traceability  in  Guatemala”,  AL  INVEST  Green,  “Promoting  Sustainable  and  Green  supply 
chains in Guatemala”, Digital Verde, “Responsible business conduct in Latin America and the 
Caribbean”.   

Continuing a practice established in 2023, the Commission continued its frequent interactions 
with the EU Domestic Advisory Group (DAG), encouraging DAG members to provide timely 
and  substantiated  input  on  labour  or  environmental  challenges  or  implementation  gaps  in 
Central America. Before the meeting of the EU-Central America TSD Board on 17-18 June 
2024,  a  joint  declaration  was  submitted  by  the  EU  and  Central  American  DAGs  with 
recommendations about future TSD work under the Agreement. The Parties welcomed the joint 
work conducted by the DAGs and encouraged them to continue in this vein. On 18 June 2024, 
representatives  of  the  Commission  and  Central  American  partners  were  invited  to  the  joint 
meeting of the EU and CA DAGs to debrief them about the work carried out so far. The parties 
also  prepared  a  report  after  the  TSD  Board  meeting  and  presented  it  to  the  Civil  Society 
Dialogue Forum on 19 June 2024.  

3. 

ACTIVITIES SUBJECT TO SPECIFIC MONITORING  

3.1 

Banana imports from Central America 

Since the entry into force of the Association Agreement, the absolute volume (from 797.000 
tonnes in 2012 to 1.456.000 tonnes in 2019) as well as the market share of bananas (from 18,8% 
in 2012 to 26,3% in 2019) imported from Central America to the EU has increased, contributing 
to diversify supply to the growing EU banana market.  

Article 15 of Regulation (EU) No 20/201339 (the ‘Regulation’) provides for the stabilisation 
mechanism for fresh bananas (HS code 08 03 90 10). This stabilisation mechanism ended by 
the end of 2019. In this context, and in accordance with Articles 3 and 13 of Regulation 19/2013, 
the Commission continues to monitor with particular attention the evolution of imports of fresh 
bananas from Central America.  

39 Regulation (EU) No 20/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2013 implementing the bilateral 
safeguard  clause  and  the  stabilisation  mechanism  for  bananas  of  the  Agreement  establishing  an  Association  between  the 
European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America on the other, of the other part as amended by 
Regulation (EU) 2017/540 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017.  

49 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Customs Tariffs have stabilised to 75 euros/ton since 1 January 2020. In 2024, EU imports of 
fresh bananas from Central America -by volume- amounted to 1million tons, a small increase 
of only % when compared to export volumes in 2023 (million). No issues on price fluctuations 
were reported in the EU market. 

2023/2024 imports of fresh bananas40 

Country 

2023 Total 
imports (tons) 

2024 Total imports 
(tons) 

Variation 2023 vs. 2024 

Costa Rica 

         1 053 503 

1 075 573 

Panama 

           157 038 

223 187 

Guatemala 

           217 124 

214 147 

Total 

1 427 665 

1 512 907 

+2% 

+42% 

-1% 

+6% 

40 Statistics refer to the EU27   

50 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRADE 
PILLAR OF THE ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND CHILE 

1. 

THE AGREEMENTS 

From  2003  until  31  January  2025,  trade  between  the  EU  and  Chile  has  operated  under  the 
framework  of  the  EU-Chile  Association  Agreement  (hereinafter  ‘the  Agreement’),  which 
includes a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement along with a political and a cooperation pillar. 
The Agreement entered into force in 2003 and was the first EU bilateral agreement subject to 
an  ex-post  evaluation,  conducted  in  2016.41  The  Agreement  has  worked  well  overall,  as 
illustrated by the doubling of bilateral trade since its entry into force. A Commission impact 
assessment carried out in 2017 pointed at the need to modernise it, so as to adapt it to the new 
realities of global trade and investment, lifting it to the level of the more modern agreements 
that  both  the  EU  and  Chile  had  concluded  in  the  Americas  and  beyond,  notably  by 
complementing  it  with  standard  provisions  enshrined  in  the  latest  version  of  deep  and 
comprehensive trade agreements. 

The  modernisation  of  the  Association  Agreement  (negotiated  between  2017  and  2022) 
envisages two parallel legal instruments: the Advanced Framework Agreement (AFA), that 
includes a) the Political and Cooperation pillar and b) the Trade and Investment pillar (inclusive 
of investment protection provisions); and the Interim Trade Agreement (ITA) covering trade 
and investment liberalisation. The ITA will expire when the Advanced Framework Agreement 
enters into force.  

The  EU  and  Chile  signed  the  Advanced  Framework  Agreement  and  the  Interim  Trade 
Agreement  on  13  December  2023  and  the  European  Parliament  gave  its  consent  to  the  two 
Agreements on 29 February 2024. The Council of the EU adopted the Decisions to conclude 
the agreements on 18 March 2024.  

Following Chile’s ratification in November 2024, the ITA came into force on 1 February 2025, 
while the date for the provisional application of the relevant parts of AFA was still pending at 
the time of writing.  In addition to a further liberalisation of trade in agriculture (under new 
conditions), public procurement, services and investment, the ITA includes modernised rules 
of  origin  and  customs  and  trade  facilitation  provisions,  ambitious  commitments  on  IPR 
(including the protection of EU Geographical Indications for foodstuff) and non-tariff barriers, 
as well as a chapter on Trade and Sustainable Development. It also contains strong provisions 
on sustainability and energy & raw materials, which will help contribute to the green transition, 
as well as an ambitious chapter on SMEs and, for the first time in a bilateral EU agreement, 
separate chapters on trade and gender and on sustainable food systems. The AFA also includes 
state-of-the-art investment protection provisions (including an Investment Court System). 

41 https://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2012/august/tradoc_149881.pdf  

51 

 
 
 
 
 
 
2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

2.1   Market Access: Progress and outstanding issues 

In  2024,  the  implementation  of  the  Association  Agreement  took  place  smoothly.  No 
institutional meeting (Trade Committee or Subcommittees) was held in 2024, as the focus on 
both sides was on paving the way for the ITA (which came into force on 1 February 2025). 

No new trade barriers or irritants were registered. Meanwhile technical work continued on the 
implementation of the Action Plan agreed on the last Committee on SPS measures held in 
July  2022.    Also,  the  EU-Chile  wines  and  spirits  agreement,  and  the  EU  Chile  reciprocal 
agreement  on  mutual  recognition  of  organic  certifications  of  a  number  of  food  items 
continued  to  apply.  Throughout  2024,  the  EU  Delegation  had  contacts  with  the  Regulatory 
Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, covering both SPS and TBT issues, as well as 
with sectorial Ministries on some of the outstanding barriers (e.g. Ministry of Public Works on 
public procurement). 

The trade and investment liberalisation provisions of the EU-Chile Interim Trade Agreement 
are expected to contribute to solving some of the existing barriers, including in the following 
areas:  

Intellectual Property Rights 

The ITA lays down rules on the protection of regulatory data related to pharmaceutical and 
agro-chemical products. These rules feature a higher level of protection than that of Article 
39.3 of the TRIPS Agreement and approximate Chilean law to the EU standards. Consequently, 
the ITA aims to improve the level and term of protection of regulatory data and remove existing 
legal uncertainty about the scope and conditions for that protection. Moreover, the provisions 
on cooperation in the Agreement will give the EU another forum to discuss the identified issues 
bilaterally with Chile.  

Another barrier in the IPR field that will be partially solved (or at least alleviated) concerns the 
enforcement of copyright and related rights in the internet to tackle online piracy. The ITA 
aims to increase the standards of the enforcement measures available for right holders in Chile, 
approximating them to those available in the EU. These standards include the rules on the legal 
protection of technological measures and of rights management information. They also include 
effective,  proportionate  and  dissuasive  enforcement  remedies,  including  the  possibility  of 
issuing injunctions (aimed at prohibiting the continuation of the infringement) against service 
providers such as internet platforms, whose services are used to infringe an IPR. 

In 2024, monitoring activities continued to follow closely the procedure concerning requests 
for  registration  of  several  trademarks  that,  if  registered,  would  conflict  with  Geographical 
Indications of EU cheeses and a meat product that Chile has agreed to protect under the Interim 

52 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
Trade Agreement. All “bad faith” applications were ultimately rejected by the relevant Chilean 
courts (e.g. concerning Parmesan, Asiago, Mortadella and Feta).  

Wine and spirits agreement (annex IV and V of the existing EU-Chile Agreement) 

On 9 March 2023, the modified agreements on the protection of terms for wines and spirits 
(annex IV and V of the current Agreement) came into effect. These updated agreements aim to 
enhance bilateral trade in these products and play a significant role in agricultural trade for both 
the EU and Chile, which are both major global wine exporters. By modifying the agreements, 
the lists of protected terms have been updated, and it becomes easier to revise them in the future 
to ensure they align with any changes in the protected conditions of wines, aromatised wines, 
and spirits in both Chile and the EU, including respective oenological practises. 

Public procurement 

In the area of public procurement, the ITA establishes rules aimed at more transparency, non-
discrimination  and  fairness  in  public  procurement  procedures,  and  an  increased  use  of 
electronic procurement. This will help address requirements currently imposed by Chile, mostly 
for tenders run by the Ministry of Public Works, on local  presence and local  experience.  In 
addition,  Chile  imposes  designs  and  technical  specifications  that  are  an  obstacle  for  EU 
companies,  especially  for  newcomers,  and  applies  excessively  short  deadlines  for  the 
submission of offers. The new Agreement introduces further disciplines, notably with regard 
to the  use  of  objective  and  non-discriminatory  criteria  in  determining  the  conditions  for 
participation to tender procedures (including in relation to the criteria of experience in previous 
projects).  

TBT 

The provisions of the TBT chapter of the ITA are likely to mitigate several trade barriers that 
EU business continues to face in Chile:  

•  For example, imports of hygiene products and cosmetics from the EU presently suffer 
from  burdensome  administrative  procedures,  such  as  the  cost  experienced  by  EU 
industry for the registration of products and the short duration of the registration. The 
TBT Chapter of the ITA inter alia provides for the selection of conformity assessment 
procedures proportionate to the risk of the products, disciplines on fees and cooperation 
on facilitation of acceptance of conformity assessment results.  

•  Furthermore, imports of EU electronic and fuel burning products are subject to a 
burdensome two-step certification procedure. At present, certificates or tests carried 
out in the origin country, although valid in Chile, must be completed with tests in Chile, 
which increases the cost of importing goods. This requirement also applies to products 
certified in their country of origin by internationally recognised laboratories and which 
are  based  on  international  standards,  except  if  a  bilateral  agreement  with  a  Chilean 

53 

 
 
 
 
 
laboratory exists. The provisions on recognition of EU certificates in the TBT Chapter 
in the ITA will help to partially solve this issue.  

Advancing sectoral work 

• 

• 

In  the  wind  energy  sector,  the  EU  Delegation  in  Santiago  de  Chile  continued  its 
contacts with the relevant Chilean authorities on a problem raised by Member States: 
namely,  delays  caused  by  the  need  for  police  custody/escort  for  the  transport  of 
oversized  elements,  such  as  wind  energy  blades.  An  inter-ministerial  solution  was 
found. A new regulation establishes that a third party may take charge of the custody, 
after  the  police  has  examined  the  case.  The  new  regulation  has  been  successfully 
implemented as a pilot in the Antofagasta region and its extension to other regions is 
under  evaluation.  This  situation  consistently  improved  the  transport  of  oversized 
elements  schedule  in  the  Antofagasta  region  and  no  major  complaints  from  EU 
companies or Member States has been registered issued during 2024.  

In  2024,  several  non-conventional  renewable  energy  utility-scale  companies  (solar 
and/or wind) from several EU Member States continued to face financial difficulties, 
due  to  the  current  regulatory  set-up  and  pricing  mechanism.  The  EU  Delegation  in 
Santiago undertook several demarches, including on the occasion of high-level visits by 
the EU to Chile, and vice-versa. Meanwhile Chile has launched an energy transition 
bill,  which  includes  norms  on  power  transmission  and  storage,  whereas  the 
“extraordinary  tariff  revenues  adjustments  mechanism”  (which  may  have  at  least 
assuaged  the  EU  companies’  concerns)  was  deleted  from  the  text  during  the 
parliamentary discussions.  

2.2      Trade and sustainable development: Progress and outstanding issues 

Following the entry into force of the ITA on 1 February 2025, the EU and Chile intend to 
fulfil the commitments under the Joint Statement, which is to launch a formal review process 
of the Trade and Sustainable Development aspect of the agreements. The goal is to finalise 
the review within the set deadline of twelve months. 

In 2024, through its regional cooperation programmes, the EU supported Chile’s move towards 
a  more  sustainable  and  environmentally  friendly  economy,  including  the  Mineral 
Development Platform on sustainable mining, the promotion of Responsible Business Conduct, 
civil aviation, dual use goods, AL Invest, all regional actions.  

In the run-up to the entry into force of the EU-Chile ITA (which includes a chapter on Energy 
and Raw Material) and given Chile's role as a regional leader in renewable energy and critical 
raw  materials  and  the  European  Union's  strong  commitment  to  sustainable  development,  a 
group of EU companies, EU Commission  and EIB officials visited Chile from 4-8 November 
2024 to identify mutually beneficial opportunities for the development of sustainable value 
chains for critical raw materials.  

54 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRADE 
PILLAR OF THE EU-MEXICO GLOBAL AGREEMENT 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

Mexico (after Brazil) is the EU’s second biggest trading partner in Latin America today and 
was the first country in Latin America to sign an Economic Partnership, Political Coordination 
and Cooperation Agreement with the EU (‘Global Agreement’). The Global Agreement was 
signed in 1997, and its trade provisions were later developed into a comprehensive Free Trade 
Agreement that entered into force in March 2000 for goods and in February 2001 for services 
(hereinafter called ‘the FTA’)42.  

In order to  adapt  the Global  Agreement to  the new realities of global trade and investment, 
negotiations on a modernisation of the FTA were launched in 2016. On 21 April 2018, after 
nine rounds of negotiations, an ‘agreement in principle’ was reached on the trade part outlining 
the numerous improvements to the legal framework of EU-Mexico bilateral trade relations. On 
28 April 2020 the European Union and Mexico  agreed on the exact  scope of the reciprocal 
opening  of  public  procurement  markets  at  subcentral  level  and  ensuring  predictability  and 
transparency in public procurement processes.  

On 17 January 2025 an agreement on the last outstanding issues was reached and the parties 
are now moving towards putting in place the necessary procedures leading to the signature and 
conclusion  of  the  modernised  agreement.  This  modernisation  will  set  a  new  and  modern 
framework for EU-Mexico bilateral trade and investment relations based on reciprocity and will 
promote new opportunities for business, while including strong and clear commitments on trade 
and sustainable development (TSD), which are missing in the current FTA.  

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

In 2024, the parties continued to engage in discussions to address outstanding issues/trade 
barriers, such as in the area of Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures (SPS), Customs, Standards 
and Technical Regulations, Intellectual Property matters and Government Procurement. Many 
of these issues are expected to be addressed by the modernised FTA once it enters into force. 

SPS 

In the area of SPS, the Parties continued to engage in technical discussions on the following 
outstanding issues affecting EU exports: 

42 The trade pillar was expanded by two decisions of the Joint Council: Decision No 2/2000 of the EC-Mexico Joint Council 
of 23 March 2000 related to trade in goods and Decision No 2/2001 of the EU-Mexico Joint Council of 27 February 2001 on 
trade in services. 

55 

 
 
 
 
 
•  Non application of “pre-listing” 43 for EU export of products of animal origin. The EU 
applies the prelisting principle to  Mexico; however Mexico does  not  reciprocate  and 
continues to inspect every meat establishment before granting any export approval.  

•  Non-recognition of the EU regionalization measures for African Swine Fever (ASF). 

•  Limiting  regionalisation  for  Highly  Pathogenic  Avian  Influenza  (HPAI)  to  some 

Member States. 

•  Burdensome  structure  of  Mexican  Audits  which  are  not  intended  to  assess  the 
effectiveness of the EU's control measures and systems in place. Instead, they focus on 
evaluating individual establishments. Notably, the costs associated with these audits are 
not borne by the Mexican competent authorities, as would be expected, but are rather 
incurred by EU operators. 

•  Delaying market access applications for fruits and vegetables, and failure to process 
pending applications from EU Member States to export pig meat and poultry meat. 

•  Problems  for  imports  of  Sawn  Wood:  Mexican  regulation  is  incompatible  with 
international standards, as it requires imported sawn wood to be 100% bark free. This 
not  only  brings  substantial  additional  and  unnecessary  costs  to  exporters  but  is  also 
discriminatory  towards  EU  exporters  as  Mexico  in  December  2024  put  in  place 
administrative simplification measures to expedite the importation of new sawn timber 
from the United States and Canada, allowing importers from these two countries to more 
easily comply with the Mexican Official Standard (Norma Official Mexicana) NOM-
016-SEMARNAT-2013, while ensuring the respect of SPS provisions. 

•  NEW: Problems encountered by operators exporting day-old chicks and hatching eggs 
who were requested that the origin and export of the products must be from the same 
member state. 

TBT 

•  At the Special Committee on Standards and Technical Regulations the EU underlined 
its  concerns  about  Mexican  conformity  assessment  and  certification,  which  has 
repercussions  across  multiple  sectors  including  automotive,  medical  devices  and 
pharmaceuticals.  Challenges  include  burdensome  certification  processes,  insufficient 
certification capacities, lack of regulatory awareness among enforcing authorities and 
concerns regarding the registration and authorization of pharmaceutical products and 
medical devices.  

43 To be authorised to export a certain commodity to the European Union, an exporting country should 
demonstrate that its controls meet the EU requirements. If the exporting country's competent authority sees that 
an establishment meets the relevant EU import conditions, it can place the establishment on a list (often termed a 
"pre-list") of exporting establishments that meet relevant EU conditions. 

56 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Public Procurement  

•  Regarding government procurement, during the Special Committee on Government 
Procurement,  the  EU  raised  concerns  regarding  the  handling  of  patent-protected 
products  in  public  procurement  processes  in  Mexico’s  health  sector  as  well  as  more 
general  concerns  about  Mexico’s  public  procurement  procedures,  including  tight 
submission  deadlines,  reliance  solely  on  pricing  criteria  and  direct  awards  without 
competitive bidding.  

The EU and Mexico continued their cooperation on the following issues in particular:  

IPR 

•  The  EU  and  Mexico  committed  to  using  technical  cooperation  as  a  tool  to  ensure 
effective  protection  of  intellectual  property  rights  in  accordance  with  the  highest 
international standards, including effective means to enforce such rights.  

•  The  Special  Committee  on  Intellectual  Property  Matters  met  in  April  2024  and 
discussed  recent  IP  law  reforms  and  their  implementing  legislation;  protection  and 
enforcement  of  IP  rights,  including  at  the  border;  and  opportunities  for  technical 
cooperation.  The  EU referred to  the persistent  concerns expressed by EU companies 
operating in Mexico about the ineffective enforcement of intellectual property rights in 
the country, including at the border and both online and in physical marketplaces. These 
concerns,  summarised  in  the  2023  Report  on  the  protection  and  enforcement  of 
intellectual property rights in third countries,44 have led EU stakeholders to call for a 
national anti-piracy plan to address the main challenges posed by counterfeiting and 
piracy and to coordinate law enforcement actions at federal, state and local level.  

•  IP Key Latin America45 remained in 2024 the main technical cooperation programme 
on intellectual property between the EU and Mexico, featuring a number of activities 
aimed at addressing some of the identified challenges in the area of intellectual property 
(e.g.  symposium  for  judges,  seminar  on  border  enforcement,  conference  on 
geographical indications, etc.).  

Customs matters 

• 

In the area of customs matters, both parties continued their dialogue on Rules of Origin, 
Customs  Cooperation  and  Trade  Facilitation  and  Mutual  Administrative  Assistance. 
During the Special Committee on Customs Cooperation, the EU reported difficulties 
experienced  by  EU  companies  in  relation  to  the  application  of  customs  rules  and 
procedures in Mexico, including different interpretations and requirements depending 
on  the  port  of  entry,  slow  clearing  processes,  erroneous  tariff  classifications  and 
disproportionate requirements, in particular regarding certification compliance.  

44 https://circabc.europa.eu/rest/download/7099aee0-c68f-42c5-ae30-5350a879a30e 
45 Latin America | IPKEY 

57 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sectoral cooperation  

• 

In 2024 the EU and Mexico organised a meeting of the respective officials responsible 
for  the  overall  coordination  of  the  FTA  in  the  framework  of  the  Trade  Committee. 
Several concerns were raised by the EU which impact various sector including energy, 
pharma, medical devices, steel and aluminium and VAT claims against EU insurance 
companies. 

Cooperation on Responsible Business Conduct 

• 

In  the  framework  of  the  EU  project  on  responsible  business  conduct46,  Mexican 
authorities,  private  business  and  stakeholders  continued  to  a  second  phase  of 
cooperation  activities,  running  up  to  June  2028,  aimed  at  supporting  responsible 
business  conduct  practices  in  line  with  the  UN,  ILO  and  OECD  instruments.  The 
project, which is financed under Al-Invest Next, will feed into the implementation of 
the future TSD Chapter under the modernised EU-Mexico Agreement, once it enters 
into force. 

46 The  project is implemented together with the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Organization for 
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for 
Human Rights (OHCHR). 

58 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PART III: EU NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES  

59 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mediterranean and Middle East countries –  

Free Trade Areas 

60 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND ALGERIA 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The EU and Algeria established a Free Trade Area (FTA) under the EU-Algeria Association 
Agreement, signed in 2002, which entered into force on 1 September 2005 (hereinafter called 
‘the Agreement’). The Agreement provides for a reciprocal liberalisation of trade in goods, with 
elements  of  asymmetry  in  favour  of Algeria,  such  as  a  12-years  transitional  period  for 
dismantling tariffs for industrial goods and a selective liberalisation on agriculture. In 2012, the 
EU and Algeria agreed to review the timetable for tariff dismantling set forth in the Agreement 
for  certain  products  (steel,  textile,  electronics,  and  automobiles),  extending  the  transitional 
period from 12 to 15 years.  

Market opening for agricultural products so far only concerns a limited number of tariff lines, 
which are subject to either full liberalisation, Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQ) or a reduction of Most 
Favoured Nation (MFN) rates respectively, for both Parties. The agreement does not include a 
specific  Dispute  Settlement  Protocol,  but only  general  provisions  on  dispute  settlement, 
allowing a Party to refer the matter to the EU-Algeria Association Council in accordance with 
Article 100 of the Association Agreement. This process has been initiated twice by the EU side, 
first in June 2020 and second in June 2024 (see further information in section 2 below).  

Algeria  is  a  Contracting  Party  of  the  Regional  Convention  on  pan-Euro-Mediterranean 
preferential rules of origin (“PEM Convention”). The main objective of the PEM Convention 
is  to  define  common  rules  of  origin  in  the  PEM  area,  aimed  at  facilitating  trade  integration 
within this region. On 7 December 2023, the PEM Joint Committee adopted Decision n 1/2023 
on  the  amendment  to  the  PEM  Convention.  The  rules  of  origin  have  been  revised  and 
modernized to simplify and enhance the rules’ flexibility, as well as facilitate better integration 
into the global value chain. The revised rules of the PEM Convention entered into force on 1 
January 2025, but Algeria does not apply them yet. 

Algeria started  negotiating  its  accession  to  the  WTO  in  1987.  The  EU  continues  to 
support Algeria’s efforts but the negotiation process with the Accession Working Party remains 
stalled since 2014.   

61 

 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

Dispute Settlement Procedures against Algeria: Several trade restrictive measures 

On 24 June 2020, the EU initiated a dispute settlement case against Algeria under the EU-
Algeria Association Agreement challenging five measures (illegal safeguard duties, import ban 
on cars, import licensing scheme, custom duties on 129 products and payment restrictions in 
the  maritime  transport  sector).  As  a  result  of  the  EU’s  efforts  to  find  a  negotiated  solution 
during consultations, three of the five measures challenged have been removed (customs duties, 
illegal  safeguard  duties,  and  payment  restrictions).  Nevertheless,  Algeria  has  kept  imposing 
new  trade  measures,  which  have  substantially  changed  the  trade  and  investment  regime  in 
Algeria to be more restrictive.  

On 14 June 2024, the EU launched another dispute settlement case against Algeria under the 
EU-Algeria Association Agreement and requested consultations  to address several restrictions 
imposed on EU exports and investments, including 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 to Algeria and an import ban for ceramics 
and marble. Those trade and investment restrictive measures introduced since 2021 seem to be 
in violation of Algeria’s commitments under the EU-Algeria Association Agreement.  The EU 
is challenging those trade and investment restrictive measures as incompatible with Algeria’s 
commitments under the EU-Algeria Association Agreement. Unfortunately, the consultations 
did not manage to resolve the EU’s concerns. Therefore, on 15 July 2025, the EU proceeded to 
the next step in the dispute appointing an arbitrator. 

62 

 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EU-
EGYPT ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT 

1.            THE AGREEMENT  

The EU and Egypt established a free trade area (FTA) as part of the EU-Egypt Association 
Agreement (AA), signed in 2001. The AA was signed on 25 June 2001 and entered into force 
on 1 July 2004. It provides for the reciprocal liberalisation of trade in goods, with elements of 
asymmetry in favour of Egypt.   

In  October  2008,  the  EU  and  Egypt  signed  an  Agreement  providing  for  liberalisation  in 
agricultural, processed agricultural and fisheries goods, which entered into force on 1 June 
2010 and extended the list of agricultural products covered by the original Agreement.   

In  November  2010,  the  EU  and  Egypt  signed  a  Protocol  establishing  a  Dispute  Settlement 
Mechanism (DSM) for which Egypt’s ratification process is still pending.  

Egypt  is  a  Contracting  Party  of  the  Regional  Convention  on  pan-Euro-Mediterranean 
preferential  rules  of  origin  (“PEM  Convention”)  and  has  applied  the  transitional  rules  of 
origin applicable alongside the rules of the PEM Convention on a bilateral basis with the EU 
from 1 October 2024. The main objective of the PEM Convention is to define common rules of 
origin in the PEM area, aimed at facilitating trade integration within this region. On 7 December 
2023, the PEM Joint Committee adopted Decision n 1/2023  on the amendment to  the PEM 
Convention. The rules of origin have been revised and modernized to simplify and enhance the 
rules’ flexibility, as well as facilitate better integration into the global value chain. The revised 
rules of the PEM Convention entered into force on 1 January 2025, but Egypt does not apply 
them yet. However, the transitional rules based on the revised PEM Convention are applicable 
already in 2025. 

In November 2011, the Commission received negotiation guidelines to negotiate a Deep and 
Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) with Egypt. While interested in enhancing bilateral 
cooperation on trade and investment, Egypt has shown limited interest in a full-fledged DCFTA 
so far.   

Since  2020,  the  EU  and  Egypt  are  engaged  in  a  regular  trade  dialogue  on market  access 
challenges, focusing on enhancing the implementation of FTA commitments, elimination of 
trade irritants as well as improving transparency of the legal framework for business.   

2024  signalled  an  upgrading  of  the  bilateral  relationship.  In  March  2024  the  EU  and  Egypt 
signed  a  Joint  Declaration  establishing  the  bilateral  Strategic  and  Comprehensive 
Partnership committing the partners to enhance co-operation and fully implement and unleash 
the full potential of the bilateral Free Trade Area of the Association Agreement. The EU also 
supports  Egypt's  ongoing  efforts  to  enhance  its  business  and  investment  environment 
facilitating trade and investment flows in line with its international obligations, and in particular 
those in relation to the EU. In parallel, the partners committed a package of EUR 7.4 billion on 
top  of  existing  bilateral  aid;  EUR  5  billion  of  this  package  focus  on  reforms  including  on 
competitiveness and the business environment. In June 2024, as a first deliverable, the EU and 
Egypt  co-organised  an  Investment  Conference,  which  led  to  the  signing  of  investment 

63 

 
 
  
agreements  and  Memoranda  of  Understandings  of  over  EUR  60  bn  (mainly  in  renewable 
energy). 

  2.            MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES  

The  implementation  of  the  trade-related  provisions  of  the  Agreement  is  pursued  within  the 
framework  of  the  Association  Council,  the  Association  Committee,  and  the  various 
subcommittees, including the Subcommittee on Industry, Trade, Services and Investment.  

In  2024,  the  EU  and  Egypt  intensified  their  trade  dialogue  through  regular  technical 
consultations to further remove barriers to trade affecting businesses and investors, building on 
progress  achieved  in  2023.  The  Association  Committee  took  place  in  June  2023  and  the 
Association  Council  in  January  2024.  Moreover,  The  EU-Egypt  Subcommittee  on 
Industry, Trade, Services and Investment was held on 29 November 2024 in Brussels. The 
meeting focussed on discussing trade barriers currently affecting bilateral trade flows. Egypt 
confirmed its engagement to actively continue the - more technical - trade dialogues in parallel 
to the Subcommittee with the objective of advancing the removal of outstanding trade irritants.  

(Partial) progress was achieved on a number of market access issues in 2024:  

•  Discussions on Egypt’s new measures (including field visits) for the  import of seed 
potatoes continued to clarify the rules; in the meantime, Egypt continued the suspension 
of the requirement for field visits in the EU exporting countries and clarified certain 
requirements.  

•  Partial  progress  was  achieved  on  Egypt’s  new  halal  certification  requirements 
applicable  since  October  2021.  On  12  March  2025,  Egypt  notified  to  the  WTO  the 
exclusion of imports of milk and dairy products from the scope of the Halal certification 
requirements. Efforts continue to address remaining problems related to rules and low 
transparency of the certification process.  

•  Regarding the taxation of cosmetics’ imports, Egypt acknowledged that taxing only 
imports  would  be  discriminatory  and  in  violation  of  the  EU-Egypt  Association 
Agreement.  Egypt  signalled  that  it  would  extend  the  measure  to  local  producers  but 
change the methodology i.e. impose a tax on profits rather than on turnover. The new 
law is expected to be adopted in 2025.   

•  The  EU  continues  to  monitor  the  functioning  of  the  registration  system  as  amended 
following  WTO  consultations  (WTO  dispute  against  Egypt:  DS609  –  Import 
Registration Requirements). 

At the same time, several market access barriers continue to exist in Egypt and were subject 
to discussions in the relevant committees under the EU-Egypt Association Agreement in 2024:   

•  Blockages of EU shipments of certain goods (especially timber wood but also now of 
peat and peat moss) due to their allegedly excessive radioactivity levels – even though 
these levels  are well within the standard of the International  Atomic Energy Agency 

64 

 
 
 
  
 
 
  
(IAEA).  The  Commission  has  included  alignment  with  international  standards  as  an 
objective in a bilateral project with the Egyptian nuclear agency. The Commission has, 
in the meantime, proposed the provisional application of the international standard to 
facilitate trade; further discussions are due to take place in 2025.  

• 

In  addition,  Egypt  currently  imposes  import  licensing  requirements  for  meat  and 
poultry,  which  raise  concern  as  regards  their  WTO  compatibility.  The  EU  remains 
concerned about the system as EU exporters are facing significant delays and difficulties 
in obtaining the licences that are subject to a process without a clear  and transparent 
timeframe. In some cases, companies have not been able to obtain permits for over a 
year. The Commission will continue to raise the issue with Egypt’s relevant authorities. 

65 

 
 
 
  
  
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND LEBANON 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The EU and Lebanon on 17 June 2002 signed an Association Agreement47 (AA) creating a 
Free Trade Area (FTA). Its economic and trade provisions were provisionally applied as from 
2003,  based  on  an  Interim  Agreement,  which  entered  into  force  on  1  March  2003.  The  AA 
entered into force on 1 April 2006. It liberalised two-way trade in industrial goods with an 
asymmetrical transition period of 12 years in favour of Lebanon. The phased-in liberalisation 
of industrial products by Lebanon started in 2008 and was completed in 2015.   

In regard to agri-food trade, the AA as of its provisional application, granted tariff-free access 
to the EU market for most Lebanese agricultural and processed agricultural products (i.e. 89% 
of products enter tariff and quota free), with only 27 agricultural products facing a specific tariff 
treatment, mostly Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs). On the other hand, agricultural liberalisation by 
Lebanon has been more limited.  

In  2010,  the  EU  and  Lebanon  signed  an  additional  protocol  on  a  Dispute  Settlement 
Mechanism, which entered into force on 1 September 2018.  

Lebanon is a Contracting Party of the Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean 
preferential  rules  of  origin  (“PEM  Convention”).  In  2014,  Lebanon  signed  the  Regional 
Convention on Pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential rules of origin  (PEM Convention). 
The country notified its ratification in October 2017 and formally joined on 1 December 201748. 
The main objective of the PEM Convention is to define common rules of origin in the PEM 
area, aimed at facilitating trade integration within this region. On 7 December 2023, the PEM 
Joint Committee adopted Decision n 1/2023 on the amendment to the PEM Convention. The 
rules of origin have been revised and modernised to simplify and enhance the rules’ flexibility, 
as well as facilitate better integration into the global value chain. The revised rules of the PEM 
Convention entered into force on 1 January 2025.  

On 7 December 2023, Lebanon adopted the revision of this PEM Convention, but the country 
does not apply them yet.  

Lebanon is still in the process of applying to join the WTO, which the EU continues to support, 
including through technical assistance, considering the needs of the Lebanese government.  

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

Between November 2022 and early 2025, Lebanon had a caretaker government. Mostly for this 
reason, and despite a continuous deterioration of the economic situation in Lebanon, there were 
no  significant  decisions  concerning  trade,  and  little  dialogue  with  the  EU  on  trade  matters. 

47  https://ec.europa.eu/world/agreements/downloadFile.do?fullText=yes&treatyTransId=3121 
48 For more information see https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/business/calculation-customs-duties/rules-
origin/general-aspects-preferential-origin/arrangements-list/paneuromediterranean-cumulation-pem-
convention_en  

66 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Neither  the  Subcommittee  on  “Industry,  Trade  and  Services,  Customs”  nor  the  EU-
Lebanon Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment have met since December 2019.  

The  temporary  additional  duty  of  3%  on  most  imports,  introduced  by  Lebanon  in  2019, 
remained in force in 2024 (and has been extended until end of 2025). Further additional duties 
on imports of about 18 groups of products, ten of which would affect imports from the EU, with 
duties ranging from 7% to 20%, were also adopted in 2019. Although these additional duties 
are not applied in practice on EU products, the risk that they could be applied persists. The issue 
was raised several times at the highest level vis-à-vis the Lebanese authorities, as they do not 
appear  to  be  in  line  with  the  Agreement,  since  they  affect  selected  goods  and  differentiate 
between trading partners.   

A 10% import duty on products having a locally produced substitute was adopted in 2022 but 
is not yet enforced. The Ministry of Industry has compiled a first draft list of products, which 
could be produced in Lebanon and to which this additional 10% import duty would be applied. 
The government has signalled that it is currently preparing a second list for luxury goods. The 
government has been alerted of the possible infringement of the Association Agreement with 
the EU. 

Despite the adoption by Lebanon in 2023 of the PEM transitional Rules of Origin (i.e. the 
revised rules of the PEM Convention, applicable on a bilateral basis pending the adoption of 
the  revised  PEM  Convention  by  all  contracting  parties,  which  entered  into  force  in  January 
2025), the country referred the issue to its Ministry of Justice. The latter ruled that a specific 
law would need to  be  adopted by Parliament before Lebanon  can sign  these rules, which is 
likely to provoke a considerable delay in its application. 

In  February  2024,  Lebanon’s  Council  of  Ministers  approved  the  adoption  of  e-signatures 
through  an  implementation  decree.  This  e-signature  decree  is  particularly  relevant  for  the 
potential implementation of the PEM transitional rules of origin, as it facilitates the secure and 
efficient exchange of electronic documents, ensuring compliance with EU requirements. While 
the approval of the implementing decree for e-signature is a step in the right direction, further 
regulatory adjustments are still required to fully align Lebanon’s e-signature framework with 
EU and international standards, including approval of law by the Parliament. 

67 

 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND JORDAN 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The Association Agreement (AA) creating a Free Trade Area between the EU and Jordan 
was signed in 1997 and entered into force in 2002. It liberalised two-way trade in goods, with 
asymmetrical transition periods in favour of Jordan, whereby Jordan phased in tariff reductions 
over a 12-year period. Tariff dismantling has been completed.  

The EU and Jordan upgraded the AA in 2006 concluding an additional Agreement on trade 
in  agricultural  and  processed  agricultural  products.  Today,  all  Jordanian  agricultural 
products can enter the EU duty free except for virgin olive oil and cut flowers, which are under 
tariff rate quotas (TRQs), while agricultural liberalisation on the Jordanian side is substantial, 
but not complete.  

A  Protocol  establishing  a  bilateral  Dispute  Settlement  Mechanism  was  added  to  the 
Agreement in 2011 but is not operational, pending the establishment of the list of individuals 
to serve as arbitrators.  

Jordan  is  a  Contracting  Party  of  the  Regional  Convention  on  pan-Euro-Mediterranean 
preferential  rules  of  origin  (“PEM  Convention”)  and  has  applied  the  transitional  rules  of 
origin applicable alongside the rules of the PEM Convention on a bilateral basis with the EU 
since 1 September 2021. The main objective of the PEM Convention is to define common rules 
of  origin  in  the  PEM  area,  aimed  at  facilitating  trade  integration  within  this  region.  On  07 
December 2023, the PEM Joint Committee adopted Decision n 1/2023 on the amendment to 
the PEM Convention. The rules of origin have been revised and modernised to simplify and 
enhance the rules’ flexibility, as well as facilitate better integration into the global value chain. 
The  revised  rules  of  the  PEM  Convention  entered  into  force  on  1  January  2025  and  Jordan 
applies them since 16 January 2025. 

In 2016 the EU and Jordan agreed on a second set of Rules of origin (the so-called) simplified 
Rules of Origin scheme, applicable to companies employing Syrian refugees.  

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES  

The Subcommittee on trade, industry and services last met in June 2023, after two years of 
break.  

The EU side continued to raise outstanding issues in official meetings under the Agreement, 
including  in  written  correspondence  and  technical  meetings,  notably  the  need  for 
predictability  and  information-sharing  regarding  the  legislative  and  administrative 
measures, which may have an impact on trade. The EU side also reiterated the importance for 
import  requirements  and  enforcement  measures  to  be  transparent  and  that  sufficient  time  is 
granted to producers, certifiers and the administration itself to adapt to any new rules.   

68 

 
 
 
 
3. 

ACTIVITIES OF SPECIFIC INTEREST 

Under  the  simplified  Rules  of  Origin  scheme,  adopted  in  2016  and  amended  in  2018, 
Jordanian exporters of 52 product groups can benefit from the same rules of origin as those 
applied by the EU in respect to the Least Developed Countries, provided that certain conditions 
are met as regards to employment of Syrian refugees. 

Despite  the  wide  scope  of  the  simplified  Rules  of  Origin  scheme,  to  date  it  is  used  by  few 
exporters, mostly in the textile sector and has had limited success in promoting the employment 
of Syrian refugees. Discussions were held in 2024 with Jordanian authorities to assess the state 
of play and the challenges faced in the implementation of the scheme. 

 The EU continues  to support Jordan in its efforts to improve its export performance. 
Initiatives focus on boosting the country’s general export capacity and competitiveness by 
achieving a closer integration into global value chains and making better use of preferential 
access  to  the  EU  market.  Trade-for-Development  is  a  key  element  of  the  EU  Partnership 
Priorities  (2021-2027)49.  Through  its  bilateral  programming,  the  EU  also  supports  private 
sector development, job creation and the business legislative framework and reforms. 

Furthermore, the EU continues working with the ILO and the Jordanian Government to ensure 
decent working conditions in companies exporting to the EU. 

On 29 January 2025, with the signature of Joint Declaration a Strategic and Comprehensive 
Partnership, the EU and Jordan strengthened bilateral cooperation on a wide range of areas. 
In the field of trade, this will include work on the review of the bilateral trade framework, to 
better  adapt  it  to  today's  challenges,  including  the  potential  negotiation  of  a  sustainable 
investment  facilitation  agreement.  Moreover,  a  EUR  1  billion  macro  financial  assistance 
package will support domestic reforms, including improvement of the business environment. 

49 https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-3304-2022-ADD-1/en/pdf  

69 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND MOROCCO 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The  EU  and  Morocco  established  a  Free  Trade  Area  (FTA)  as  part  of  the  EU-Morocco 
Association  Agreement  (AA),  signed  in  1996,  which  entered  into  force  on  1  March  2000. 
While the EU liberalised trade in industrial products from the start, Morocco benefited from a 
transitional period of 12 years. Since March 2012, trade in industrial products is now entirely 
liberalised, while market opening for agricultural products is also substantial.  

The  EU  and  Morocco  also  signed  an  agreement  on  additional  liberalisation  of  trade  in 
agricultural  products,  processed  agricultural  products,  fish  and  fisheries  products,  which 
entered  into  force  in  October  2012.  A  number  of  EU  products  remain  subject  to  tariff  rate 
quotas50  when  exported  to  Morocco,  while  for  the  other  products  full  liberalisation  was 
completed on 1st October 2020. Only a few Moroccan products are still subject to tariff rate 
quotas when imported into the EU. 

By way of an Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters between the EU and Morocco 
dated 25 October 2018, amending Protocols 1 and 4 of the Association Agreement, the tariff 
preferences of the EU-Morocco Association Agreement were extended to goods originating in 
Western Sahara.51 The agreement entered into force on 19 July 2019. On 4 October 2024, the 
European  Court  of  Justice  annulled  the  Council  Decision  concluding  the  above  mentioned 
agreement. The effects of the Council Decision remain in force for a period of twelve months 
as of the date of the ruling.  

Morocco is a Contracting Party of the Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean 
preferential rules of origin (“PEM Convention”). The main objective of the PEM Convention 
is  to  define  common  rules  of  origin  in  the  PEM  area,  aimed  at  facilitating  trade  integration 
within this region. On 7 December 2023, the PEM Joint Committee adopted Decision n 1/2023 
on  the  amendment  to  the  PEM  Convention.  The  rules  of  origin  have  been  revised  and 
modernised to simplify and enhance the rules’ flexibility, as well as facilitate better integration 
into the global value chain. The revised rules of the PEM Convention entered into force on 1 
January 2025, but Morocco does not apply them yet. 

A  protocol  establishing  a  Dispute  Settlement  Mechanism  was  agreed  upon  by  the  EU  and 
Morocco and entered into force in 2012 but is not operational pending the establishment of the 
list of arbitrators.  

50   Tariff rate quotas (TRQs) allow products imported within a certain quota to enter the European Union's 
market at a lower tariff rate than for quantities outside the quotas. They allow more variety to consumers whilst 
also encouraging non-EU countries to open up their markets to European goods. TRQs aim at mitigating impacts 
on sensitive sectors such as beef, rice or sugar. 
51 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:22019A0206(01)  

70 

 
 
 
 
Negotiations in view of an Agreement for the Protection of Geographical Indications (GIs) were 
concluded in 2015. Ratification by Morocco is still pending.  

Negotiations for a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement started in 2013 but were 
put on hold at the request of Morocco. The Joint Statement of the EU–Morocco Association 
Council  of  June  2019  referred  to  the  aim  of  creating  an  area  of  economic  convergence  and 
social cohesion.  

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES  

Morocco  has  made  trade  -  and  exports  in  particular  –  an  essential  element  of  its  economic 
development.  It  progressively  integrated  global  value  chains,  notably  in  sectors  such  as 
automotive industry and aeronautics, and in particular with the European Union. In 2024, trade 
between Morocco and the EU grew to its highest level ever. Today, the EU is by far Morocco’s 
biggest trading partner (with the EU having a solid trade surplus), first export market and first 
supplier, and accounts for 50% of FDI in Morocco. Morocco is the EU’s biggest trading partner 
in  Africa.  The  EU  and  Morocco  in  2021  launched  a  Green  Partnership,  consolidating  their 
cooperation  on  protecting  the  environment,  conserving  biodiversity  and  fighting  climate 
change. 

Building on previous initiatives, Morocco has introduced a new industrial strategy for 2024-
2030, guided by the principle of sovereignty, as announced by the King at the First National 
Industry  Day  on  29  March  2023.  This  strategy  focuses  among  others  on  promoting  human 
capital, developing R&D and innovation, enhancing competitiveness, and fostering sustainable 
development. A newly created role of Secretary of State for Trade, reporting to the Minister of 
Industry and Trade, was established in October 2024 following a government reshuffle. The 
appointed official subsequently conducted consultations to develop a roadmap for foreign trade. 
The  Subcommittee  on  trade,  industry  and  services  and  the  Subcommittee  on  internal 
market last met in April 2023 after a two years’ break (the previous respective meetings had 
taken place in July 2020; the one before in December 2013). There was no meeting in 2024. A 
date for the next meeting remains to be set. 

Morocco continues to prioritise import substitution in its industrial and trade policies, aiming 
at reducing imports, while actively supporting domestic production. This takes the form of the 
pursuit  of  an  active  industrial  policy  via  an  “industrial  project  bank”,  aimed  at  supporting 
projects with the potential of substituting imports with domestic products, the promotion 
of  local  integration  through  the  investment  charter,  as  well  as  mandatory  domestic 
preferences in public procurement and the compulsory use of goods of Moroccan origin in 
public procurement for all goods. 

In  2024,  the  EU  continued  to  raise  a  number  of  more  recent  market  access  issues  vis-à-vis 
Morocco,  including  the  system  of  conformity  assessment  for  imported  products,  market 
access for pharmaceutical and cosmetic products and mandatory domestic preferences in 
public procurement, in addition to other more long standing trade barriers.  

The EU also raised the issue of state aid/subsidy control rules, as foreseen by Article 36 of 
the Association Agreement. It was agreed to organise several follow-up technical meetings. 

71 

 
 
 
 
In 2024, several additional irritants surfaced:  

• 

• 

• 

In February 2024, Morocco initiated a safeguard investigation on imports of coated 
wood fibre boards, which resulted in the application of an additional duty for three years 
above a certain quota. Existing safeguard measures continued to apply to coated wood 
boards, welded steel pipes, hot rolled steel plates, cold rolled steel sheets and plated or 
coated sheets.  

In October 2024, Morocco launched a review investigation of the antidumping measure 
applied to imports of insulin from Denmark. The country also continued to apply anti-
dumping duties on polyvinyl chloride (PVC), including from some EU companies. 

In 2024, Morocco also introduced a system requiring the registration of foreign food 
establishments on a Moroccan platform as a condition to import food products into 
Morocco. This created additional burden for food establishments in the EU. Following 
the  EU’s  request,  Morocco  introduced  a  transition  period  and  agreed  to  simplify  the 
certification requirements for EU national authorities, which enabled EU Member States 
to comply with the new rules without trade disruptions.  

•  Finally,  Morocco  has  reinforced  an  SPS  measure  to  fight  the  spread  of  Xylella 
Fastidiosa,  a  step  which  further  complicates  imports  of  plants  from  France,  Italy, 
Portugal and Spain. 

European General Court rulings on Western Sahara - state of play 

On  4  October  2025,  the  European  Court  of  Justice  rejected  the  appeals  lodged  by  the 
Council and the Commission in December 2021 and confirmed the ruling of the General 
Court of 29 September 2021. By its judgement, the Court of Justice annulled the Council 
Decision concluding the agreement in the form of an exchange of letters which extended 
the  tariff  preferences  concluded  under  the  EU-Morocco  Association  Agreement  to  the 
territory  of  Western  Sahara.  The  Court  further  ruled  to  maintain,  for  a  period  of  twelve 
months  from  the  date  of  delivery  of  the  ruling,  the  effects  of  the  Council  Decision 
concluding  the  agreement  on  tariff  preferences,  having  taken  due  consideration  of  the 
serious negative consequences which an immediate annulment would entail and for reasons 
of legal certainty for businesses. 

Background: 

On 29 September 2021 the General Court of the EU annulled two Council decisions relating 
to international agreements with Morocco: 

• 

• 

the agreement between the EU and Morocco extending tariff preferences to products 
originating in Western Sahara; 
the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement.  

72 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Council and the Commission both lodged appeals in December 2021, which maintained 
the implementation of the agreement.  

Since 2020, the Commission has regularly evaluated the impact and benefits for the people 
of  Western  Sahara  of  extending  tariff  preferences  provided  under  the  EU-Morocco 
Association Agreement to products originating in Western Sahara. On 15 March 2024 the 
European Commission issued its fourth staff working document (covering 2022 data).52 The 
report finds that exports to the EU decreased from EUR 681 million in 2021 to EUR 590 in 
2022, while the implementation of the agreement allowed local producers to save EUR 44.4 
million in customs duties upon import of the goods into the EU in 2022.  Levels of local 
employment continue to show a trend of moderate increase. This is due to the favourable 
economic conditions of Western Sahara including the granting of tariff preferences under 
the Agreement.   

52 https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-03/TAXUD-2023-00033-00-00-EN-TRA-
00.DOCX.pdf  

73 

 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND TUNISIA 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

A Free Trade Area (FTA), as part of the EU-Tunisia Association Agreement (hereinafter 
‘the Agreement’), was signed on 17 July 1995 and entered into force on 1 March 1998. This 
provided for reciprocal liberalisation of trade in goods. Since the day of entry into force of the 
Agreement, Tunisia is free to export to the EU all industrial products covered by the Agreement 
duty-free, while it benefited from a transitional period of 12 years for imports from the EU, 
which ended in 2010. The FTA thus established the principle of two-way trade free of any 
trade duties for industrial goods.  

As regards agricultural, agri-food and fisheries products, the FTA foresees liberalisation 
for  selected  products,  with  the  EU  granting  tariff-free  quotas  for  a  number  of  products. 
Contrary to other countries in the region (e.g. Morocco or Egypt), the EU and Tunisia have not 
yet negotiated an agricultural top-up and hence market access on both sides is more limited than 
is the case with most other Southern Mediterranean partners.  

The  EU  and  Tunisia  signed  a  bilateral  protocol  in  2009  on  the  establishment  of  a  Dispute 
Settlement  Mechanism,  which  entered  into  force  in  September  2011,  but  which  is  not  yet 
operational pending the establishment of the list of arbitrators. 

Tunisia  is  a  Contracting  Party  of  the  Regional  Convention  on  pan-Euro-Mediterranean 
preferential rules of origin (“PEM Convention”) and is applying the transitional rules of origin 
applicable alongside the rules of the PEM Convention on a bilateral basis with the EU since 1 
March 2025. The main objective of the PEM Convention is to define common rules of origin 
in the PEM area, aimed at facilitating trade integration within this region. On 7 December 2023, 
the  PEM  Joint  Committee  adopted  Decision  n  1/2023  on  the  amendment  to  the  PEM 
Convention. The rules of origin have been revised and modernised to simplify and enhance the 
rules’ flexibility, as well as facilitate better integration into the global value chain. The revised 
rules of the PEM Convention entered into force on 1 January 2025, but Tunisia does not apply 
them yet. However, the transitional rules based on the revised PEM Convention are applicable 
already in 2025. 

While negotiations on a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA or “Accord 
de libre échange complet et approfondi” ALECA in French) remain on hold, the EU and Tunisia 
signed  in  July  2023  a  memorandum  of  understanding,  suggesting  that  the  parties  will 
“implement measures to promote and enhance the modernisation of the framework for trade 
and investment relations between the European Union and Tunisia in order to improve market 
access  conditions”.  This  is  important  to  meet  common  challenges,  notably  in  the  field  of 
resilient value chains, climate change and quality job creation. 

74 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

In  2024,  several  market  access  issues  remained  unresolved.  They  mainly  concern  the 
following type of restrictions: i) mandatory licences for import of certain products, which were 
subject  of  several  meetings  and  exchange  of  letters  with  Tunisian  authorities;  ii)  systematic 
technical  controls  on  imports  without  risk  analysis  and  technical  specifications  that  can 
impose  restrictive  conditions  on  the  product  and/or  the  importer;  iii)  burdensome  customs 
measures  (such  as  the  request  for  an  export  declaration  or  a  free  sale  certificate  by  EU 
operators);  iv) sectorial  market  access  limitations on pharmaceuticals and tyres.  Tunisia has 
also put in place SPS measures, which act as de facto barriers to the exports of agricultural 
products to Tunisia, (e.g. apples, honey). 

A deficit can also be noted on Tunisia’s implementation of the state aid/subsidy control rules 
as foreseen by Article 36 of the Association Agreement, which are needed to secure a level 
playing field.  

Finally,  the  objective  of  liberalisation  of  public  procurement  set  in  Article  41  of  the 
Association Agreement has not been taken forward yet. By contrast, the decree-law 2022-68 of 
November 2022 increased the thresholds for local content requirement and national preference 
in public procurement.  

At the most recent meeting of the Subcommittee on trade, industry and services held in April 
2024 the above measures were discussed. It was agreed at the meeting to organise a series of 
technical level meetings to discuss these issues in detail. 

75 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
INTERIM ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND PALESTINE  

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The Interim Association Agreement creating a Free Trade Area (FTA) between the EU and 
Palestine53 (hereinafter called ‘the Interim Association Agreement’ or IAA) was signed in 1997 
and entered into force on 1 July 1997. The IAA liberalised two-way trade in industrial goods 
by providing duty-free and quota-free access for industrial goods traded in both directions, with 
some  limited  liberalisation  of  agricultural  products  by  both  parties.  The  latter  was  an 
asymmetrical liberalisation to the extent that the EU dismantled its tariffs on the first day of the 
agreement while Palestine had a phased reduction of tariffs.  

The  IAA  was  first  updated  in  2005,  and  a  more  significant  update  was  signed  in  2011  to 
further  liberalise  trade  in  agricultural,  processed  agricultural  products  (PAPs),  fish  and 
fishery products. The EU removed all tariffs and quotas on agricultural products and PAPs 
imported into the EU for a period of ten years, which is renewable. Palestine continues to 
maintain several tariffs and quotas on selected agricultural and PAP imports from the EU.  

Products from  Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory do not benefit from the preferential 
tariff  preferences  under  the  EU-Palestine  Interim  Association  Agreement  or  the  EU-Israel 
Association Agreement.  

Palestine  is  party  to  the  Regional  Convention  on  pan-Euro-Mediterranean  preferential 
rules of origin (PEM Convention), which it signed in 2013 and notified the EU of its ratification 
in 2014. Diagonal cumulation under the original Convention is available for EU-Palestine trade 
since March 2016.  Palestine is a Contracting Party of the Regional Convention on pan-Euro-
Mediterranean  preferential  rules  of  origin  (“PEM  Convention”)  and  has  applied  the 
transitional rules of origin applicable alongside the rules of the PEM Convention on a bilateral 
basis with the EU since 1 September 2021. The main objective of the PEM Convention is to 
define common rules of origin in the PEM area, aimed at facilitating trade integration within 
this region. On 7 December 2023, the PEM Joint Committee adopted Decision n 1/2023 on the 
amendment to the PEM Convention. The rules of origin have been revised and modernized to 
simplify and enhance the rules’ flexibility, as well as facilitate better integration into the global 
value chain. The revised rules of the PEM Convention entered into force on 1 January 2025, 
but Palestine does not apply them yet. 

53 This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the 
individual positions of the Member States on this issue. 

76 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

The  (Palestine/Israel)  Joint  Economy  Committee  in  charge  of  the  follow-up  of  the  Paris 
Protocol (agreement dealing with trade related issues under the Oslo Accord) has not met since 
2009.  The  Palestinian  Authority  undertook  efforts  with  limited  results  to  re-activate  the 
committee.  

The EU-Palestinian Subcommittee on Trade met on 13 March 2025. Trade relations were 
discussed  both  in  bilateral  and  regional  context,  notably  focussing  on  how  the  EU  could 
facilitate trade talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, either in bilateral or trilateral 
format. 

The  Interim  Association  Agreement  is  far  from  reaching  its  full  potential,  hindered  by 
restrictions  imposed  by  the  Israeli  authorities.  Moreover,  Palestinian  trade  also  faces 
competitiveness issues and has often difficulties in meeting the standards required on the EU 
market. 

The  EU  continues  to  support  the  expansion  of  Palestinian  trade  within  the  broader  Euro-
Mediterranean region and remains committed to engage with both the Israeli and the Palestinian 
sides to improve the conditions of Palestinian trade. Some concrete progress was achieved with 
the introduction of a pilot project for containerised transport between the West Bank and Jordan 
via the Allenby bridge, a project that was supported by the EU Delegation in Jerusalem.   

In  the  framework  of  the  European  Joint  Strategy  in  support  of  Palestine  2021-2024  and 
through  the  Team  Europe  Initiative  “Sustainable  Growth,  Jobs,  and  Resilience”,  the  EU  is 
implementing  a  trade-assistance  programme,  which  aims  at  supporting  the  expansion  and 
diversification  of  Palestinian  trade  and  has  the  following  focus  areas:  (i)  enhancing  the 
formulation and implementation of trade policy and delivery of trade-related public services; 
(ii)  increasing  Palestine’s  private  sector  presence  abroad  and  supporting  the  promotion  of 
Palestinian exports; (iii) enhancing the technical and SPS standards of Palestinian products, and 
(iv) improving the trade-related, physical economic infrastructure. 

77 

 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND ISRAEL 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

EU-Israel  relations  are  governed  by  an  Association  Agreement  "AA")  that  has  been 
provisionally applied since 1996 and fully entered into force in 2000. The AA replaces the old 
EU-Israel FTA from 1975, which had already eliminated duties on industrial products and over 
80% of agricultural tariff lines. The terms of the AA provided for full elimination of customs 
duties  applicable  to  industrial  products  and  partial  liberalisation  for  agricultural  products 
creating a Free Trade Area (FTA). Furthermore, the AA improved the provisions on rules of 
origin and included a series of further reciprocal agricultural concessions. However, the FTA 
does not include commitments on services and investments, regulatory convergence or modern 
trade rules. Products produced in the Israeli settlements located within the territories brought 
under Israeli administration since June 1967 are not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff 
treatment under the AA. 

The EU and Israel subsequently upgraded the FTA by signing agreements, which further 
liberalised  trade  in  agricultural  products,  notably  in  processed  agricultural  products 
(PAPs) and fish and fishery products. The first agreement was signed in 2003 and the second 
is  in  force  since  2010.  The  latter  further  increased  reciprocal  market  access  in  agri-food 
products and is based on the “negative list approach” (i.e. all agri-food trade is liberalised on 
both  sides  apart  from  a  limited  number  of  sensitive  lines  on  either  side).  For  sensitive 
agricultural products such as fruit and vegetables, sugar, etc., market access on both sides is 
provided  in  the  form  of  duty  free  quotas  (Tariff  Rate  Quotas  of  TRQs).  Moreover,  the  EU 
maintains its entry price system, but with an ad valorem duty component set at 0%.  

Discussions for a Dispute settlement protocol under the FTA took place in 2008 and also in 
December  2016  on  the  occasion  of  the  EU-Israel  Trade  Subcommittee  but  have  not  been 
finalised. There are currently no discussions on resuming this process. 

The  EU  and  Israel  also  have  in  place  an  Agreement  on  Conformity  Assessment  and 
Acceptance  of  industrial  products  (ACAA)  on  pharmaceuticals,  in  force  since  January 
2013,  which  facilitates  trade  on  both  sides,  as  it  recognises  each  partner’s  certification  of 
conformity of pharmaceutical products without the need for re-testing at import.  

In 1999, the EU and Israel signed a "Good Laboratory Practice" (GLP) agreement, ensuring 
the high quality, validity and reliability of health and environmental data generated during the 
testing  of  cosmetics,  industrial  chemicals,  pharmaceuticals,  food  additives,  animal  feed 
additives and pesticides by means of mutual recognition of OECD principles of good laboratory 
practice (GLP) and compliance monitoring programmes.  

Israel  is  a  Contracting  Party  of  the  Regional  Convention  on  pan-Euro-Mediterranean 
preferential rules of origin (“PEM Convention”).  The main objective of the PEM Convention 
is  to  define  common  rules  of  origin  in  the  PEM  area,  aimed  at  facilitating  trade  integration 

78 

 
 
 
 
within this region. On 7 December 2023, the PEM Joint Committee adopted Decision n 1/2023 
on  the  amendment  to  the  PEM  Convention.  The  rules  of  origin  have  been  revised  and 
modernised to simplify and enhance the rules’ flexibility, as well as facilitate better integration 
into the global value chain. The revised rules of the PEM Convention entered into force on 1 
January 2025, but Israel does not apply them yet. 

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

 The adoption by Israel in 2024 of a new import reform is a step in the good direction. The law 
entered into force in January 2025 and its title is “What is good for Europe is good for Israel”. 
It covers many consumer goods (food, cosmetics, electric home appliances, toys, etc.).  and 
streamlines control procedures at importation for certain categories of goods that comply with 
EU  regulations  and  standards  based  on  importers’  declaration,  alongside  with  smart  and 
effective ex post market surveillance. In principle, this reform facilitates and removes barriers 
to imports from the EU. to the EU continues to monitor the implementation of this reform to 
see  whether  it  achieves  its  intended  results  and  effectively  aligns  with  EU  legislation  and 
standards. 

Partial  progress  has  also  been  achieved  regarding  the  authorisation  of  EU  medical  devices 
imports. While Israel still does not apply fast-track authorisation to EU Member States, who 
joined the EU after 2004, nor Luxembourg, a pilot project was agreed that de facto makes the 
import regime equivalent for all imports. However, this temporary regime needs to be renewed 
on an annual basis and creates uncertainty (the latest renewal was published in December 2024 
and will remain in force till the end of 2025).  

A few EU consignments of medical devices destined to the West Bank keep being rejected by 
Israeli authorities due to security considerations without further justifications, making business 
more unpredictable. 

Burdensome certification requirements applied to imports into Israel of kosher food continue 
to be perceived as a barrier by EU exporters, even though they appear to have internalised the 
related costs in agreement with the Israeli importers.  

The EU-Israel subcommittee on industry, trade and services last met on 25 March 2025 to 
discuss  bilateral  trade  relations,  including  existing  trade  irritants.  The  EU  and  Israel  also 
exchanged on multilateral and regional developments, sustainability, digital trade and Israel’s 
recent import reform. 

79 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Eastern countries – Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade 
Areas 

80 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DEEP 
AND COMPREHENSIVE FREE TRADE AREA BETWEEN THE EU AND 
UKRAINE 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) between the EU and Ukraine, the 
trade part of the Association Agreement54, provisionally entered into force on 1 January 2016 
while the full Association Agreement formally entered into force on 1 September 2017.  

This  information  sheet  constitutes  the  assessment  of  the  trade-liberalisation  measures  under 
Article 6 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1392.   

Ukraine was granted EU candidate status in June 2022. In December 2023, the EU agreed 
to open accession negotiations with Ukraine.  The screening exercise in view of opening the 
accession negotiation of the EU acquis  falling under Cluster 6 (External  Relations)  – which 
covers  inter  alia  Chapter  30  on  the  Common  Commercial  Policy  –  is  underway,  with  the 
explanatory meeting having taken place on 16 May 2024, and the bilateral meeting having taken 
place on 30 January 2025.   

Furthermore, to support Ukraine’s economy during the war, the EU adopted autonomous trade 
measures (ATMs) on 30 May 202255 suspending  all duties  and trade defence measures  on 
imports from Ukraine.  

•  The ATMs were extended in June 2024 for another year.56  The latest renewal of the 
Autonomous  Trade  Measures,  which  entered  into  force  on  6  June  2024,  included  a 
strengthened safeguard mechanism that allowed for quick remedial action to be taken 
in  case  of  significant  disruptions  to  the  EU  market  or  the  markets  of  one  or  more 
Member States. In addition, an emergency brake applied to eggs, poultry, sugar, oats, 
maize, groats, and honey, which was automatically triggered for oats, eggs, sugar, groats 
and honey since import volumes in 2024 reached the average yearly imports recorded 
between 1 July 2021 and 31 December 2023.  

•  The  ATMs  expired  on  5 June  2025.  On  2  June  2025  the  EU  and  Ukraine  started 
consultations pursuant to Article 29 of the DCFTA to agree on further reciprocal tariff 
liberalisation compared to the original 2016 DCFTA levels. On 30 June 2025, the EU 

54 The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement was published in OJ L 161, 29.5.2014, p. 3–2137. https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A22014A0529%2801%29  
55 Regulation (EU) 2022/870 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2022 (OJ L 152 of 
3.6.22, p. 103) 
56  Regulation (EU) 2024/1392 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on temporary 
trade-liberalisation measures supplementing trade concessions applicable to Ukrainian products under the 
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 

81 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
and  Ukraine reached  an  agreement  in  principle57 on  this  review  that  includes 
increased  market  access,  a  commitment  by  Ukraine  to  align  to  EU  food  production 
standards as  well as a  robust safeguard mechanism. The review will enter into force 
once  both  the  EU  and  Ukraine  have  completed  their  internal  procedures  for 
endorsement.   

Since the entry into force in 2016 of the AA and its DCFTA, bilateral trade more than doubled 
and  surpassed  EUR  67  billion  in  2024.  EU-Ukraine  trade  maintains  high  volumes  despite 
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the EU remains an essential route for Ukraine 
exports, including to third countries with the help of the EU Solidarity Lanes initiative.  

The  EU  Commission  monitors  imports  from  Ukraine,  and  in  particular  those  under  TRQs 
otherwise  applicable  under  the  DCFTA  58.  The  monitoring  shows  a  decrease  in  2024 
compared to the high levels of imports in 2023 for some products such as poultry and sugar, 
while imports of wheat have remained steady, and imports of eggs have continued to increase. 
These increased exports since the entry into force of the first Autonomous Trade Measures in 
June 2022 have a positive socio-economic impact on Ukraine. The impact of these imports on 
the  Union  market  is  being  monitored  closely.  No  adverse  effects  were  observed  on  the  EU 
market,  but  it  is  possible  that  Ukrainian  imports  can  have  adverse  effects,  which  are  more 
localised. Many stakeholders have brought to the attention of the Commission such possible 
impacts on local and regional markets, also having socio-economic impacts on the local farming 
communities. In view of this, the Commission launched a call for evidence, which accompanied 
the recent negotiation of TRQs in the DCFTA under the Article 2959. 

On 30 June 2025, the EU and Ukraine reached an agreement in principle on the review of 
the  their  Deep  and  Comprehensive  Free  Trade  Area  (DCFTA)  under  Article  29  of  the 
Association Agreement. The Priority Action Plan (PAP) for enhanced implementation of the 
EU-Ukraine  DCFTA  in  2025-2026  lays  down  a  set  of  concrete  actions  to  monitor  the  full 
implementation of the DCFTA and to provide Ukraine with further access to the EU Single 
Market.  

Ukraine  is  a  Contracting  Party  of  the  Regional  Convention  on  pan-Euro-Mediterranean 
preferential  rules  of  origin  (“PEM  Convention”)  and  has  applied  the  transitional  rules  of 
origin applicable alongside the rules of the PEM Convention on a bilateral basis with the EU 
since 1 December 2023.  

The main objective of the PEM Convention is to define common rules of origin in the PEM 
area, aimed at facilitating trade integration within this region. On 7 December 2023, the PEM 
Joint Committee adopted Decision No 1/2023 on the amendment to the PEM Convention. The 

57 More info in the press release: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_1672  
58 See overview on DG TRADE’s website: EU trade relations with Ukraine (europa.eu) 
59 Call for evidence and all replies are available here: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-
say/initiatives/14393-EU-Ukraine-trade-further-reciprocal-tariff-liberalisation-under-Art-29-of-the-EU-Ukraine-
Association-Agreement_en  

82 

 
 
 
 
rules of origin have been revised and modernized to simplify and enhance the rules’ flexibility, 
as well as facilitate better integration into the global value chain. 

The revised rules of the PEM Convention entered into force on 1 January 2025 and Ukraine 
applies them since then. 

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

2.1   Market access: Progress and outstanding issues  

Ukraine’s regulatory approximation to the EU acquis continued to progress well despite the 
difficult situation caused by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.  

Overall implementation of the DCFTA was discussed during the 9th EU-Ukraine Association 
Committee  in  Trade  Configuration  (ACTC),  held  on  5  November  2024  in  hybrid  form  (in 
Brussels and online).  

The  “Priority  Action  Plan  for  enhanced  implementation  of  the EU-Ukraine  DCFTA  in 
2023-2024”  served  as  a  roadmap  to  accelerate  and  monitor  the  full  implementation  of  the 
DCFTA,  thus  facilitating  and  increasing  Ukraine’s  access  to  the  EU  internal  market.  It  was 
agreed to further extend the Priority Action Plan to cover the period 2025-2026. In 2024, the 
Priority Action Plan recorded good progress:  

•  Ukraine  continued  to  make  progress  towards  an  Agreement  on  Conformity 
Assessment  and  Acceptance  of  industrial  products  (ACAA),  including  towards 
meeting the EU’s key recommendations on the country’s alignment with the relevant 
horizontal and sectoral EU acquis, notably on a market surveillance law. Once Ukraine 
will adopt its Market Surveillance Law, the next steps will be a formal assessment by 
the Commission, triggering the process towards the launch of formal negotiations of an 
ACAA.   

•  The agreed list of rules applicable to Telecommunications Services (Appendix XVII-
3 to  the Association  Agreement)  was  first  amended in  April  2023 to  include the  EU 
legislation  relevant  for  roaming.  A  second  amendment  was  adopted  on  28  February 
2025  to  grant  Ukraine  more  time  to  comply  with  some  specific  rules  on  roaming, 
considering the current war context.  In a subsequent step, the EU assessed Ukraine’s 
transposition and implementation of the EU acquis. On that basis, a Council decision 
was taken to authorize the integration of Ukraine into the EU’s ‘Roam Like at Home 
Area’ area as from 1 January 2026, as proposed by the Commission. 

•  Progress  was  also  made  on  a  number  of  customs  related60  issues,  notably  on  the 
adoption  of  the  modernised  PanEuroMed  rules  of  origin,  -  which  will  have  concrete 
benefits  for  EU  and  Ukrainian  exporters,  as  well  as  for  economic  integration  in  the 
whole Pan-Euro-Mediterranean area. Work also progressed on the approximation of the 

60 The 8th Customs Subcommittee took place on 8 October 2024.  

83 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
Ukrainian  Customs  Code  to  the  EU  customs  acquis.  The  draft  of  a  new  Ukrainian 
Customs  Code,  mirroring  the  Union  Customs  Code  provisions,  was  adopted  by  the 
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (CMU) on 26 August 2025. Ukraine is advancing with   
the Authorised Economic Operators (AEOs) programme implementation, with a view 
to negotiating a mutual recognition agreement in the years to come. Since 1 October 
2022 Ukraine is an active Contracting Party of the Common Transit Convention and 
related  New  Computerised  Transit  System.  Since  1  January  2022  Ukraine  is  using 
CUSTOMS and FISCALIS programs. 

•  With regard to public procurement, the EU and Ukraine completed phases 1 and 2 of 
the  public  procurement  roadmap  in  Annex  XXI-A,  adopting  Decision  2/2023  and 
Decision  3/2023  of  the  EU-Ukraine  Association  Committee  in  Trade  Configuration. 
This was followed by the granting of additional market access (see Decision 1/2024 61 
and Decision 2/2024 62 of the Association Council).   Ukraine’s work to comply with 
phases 3 to 5 is ongoing, notably within the context of the public procurement law and 
a  draft  law  on  concessions  and  public-private  partnerships.  The  Commission 
commented at  various occasion  on the draft legislation.  The Priority Action  Plan  for 
2025-2026  commits  Ukraine  to  accelerate  the  adoption  of  Ukraine  ‘s  key  legislation 
approximating its acquis to the EU acquis by the end of 2025. 

• 

In the area of SPS63, Ukraine continued to implement the SPS strategy. On 27 December 
2024, Ukraine recognized the regionalization for African swine fever (ASF) for all EU 
Member-States. 

Mutual engagement continued in the following areas:  

•  The 21st Intellectual Property Rights Dialogue (IPR) took place on 22 October 2024, 
taking stock of Ukraine’s progress in the area, notably following up on the entry into 
force of the copyright law in January 2023 and the adoption of the Intellectual Property 
enforcement law in March 2023, as well as the institutional reform in the end of 2022. 
Ukraine also informed about the development of the national IP Strategy for 2025-2030. 

61 DECISION NO 1/2024 OF THE EU-UKRAINE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL of 1 October 2024 on the 
granting of reciprocal market access for supplies for central government authorities in accordance with Annex 
XXI-A to Chapter 8 of the 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 [2025/59], OJ L 
14.1.2025 
62 DECISION NO 2/2024 OF THE EU-UKRAINE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL of 1 October 2024 on the 
granting of reciprocal market access for supplies for state, regional and local authorities and bodies governed by 
public law in accordance with Annex XXI-A to Chapter 8 of the 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 [2025/68], OJ 14.1.2025 

63 The 7th SPS Subcommittee took place on 27 November 2024. 

84 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
As regards Geographical Indications (GIs)64, cooperation continued in order to ensure 
alignment of Ukraine’s GI system with EU norms and standards.  

• 

In the field of competition including State aid, the Law on State aid remains suspended 
during the martial law.  

•  As  regards  the  wood  export  ban,  a  long-standing  trade  irritant,  a  Panel  found  it 
incompatible with Article 35 of the Association Agreement65,  Ukraine is still referring 
to  ongoing  legislative  work  on  this  issue  but  has  not  yet  complied  with  the  panel’s 
recommendations. 

• 

In September 2025 Ukraine introduced an export duty on soyabeans and rapeseed.  

2.2 

Trade and sustainable development: Progress and outstanding issues  

In the context of the above mentioned Priority Action Plan, the 7th Ukraine – EU Trade and 
Sustainable Development Subcommittee was held on 11 June 2024 via videoconference. The 
Subcommittee noted that  more than two years had  passed since the start  of Russia’s war of 
aggression  and  the  EU  reiterated  its  full  support  for  Ukraine.  The  subcommittee  noted  the 
importance of civil society participation and the contribution of the EU and Ukrainian Domestic 
Advisory Groups.  

•  Regarding  labour  matters  Ukraine  updated  on  developments  and  the  EU  expressed 
appreciation  for  the  continued  engagement  even  in  the  current  extremely  difficult 
circumstances.  It  highlighted  the  importance  of  upholding  labour  rights  as  much  as 
possible,  even  in  times  of  war  and  reiterated  that  ensuring  labour  rights  and  decent 
working conditions in line with the EU acquis and international labour standards will 
be key for a sustainable recovery after the war. The EU highlighted the importance of 
genuine  participation  of  social  partners  when  developing  legislation  including  the 
modernisation of labour relations and reiterated its availability to provide the necessary 
technical support.   

•  Ukraine informed about the environmental and climate damage caused by the war. 
The  EU  pointed  to  the  need  to  restore  nature  after  the  war,  stressed  the  role  of 
municipalities and civil society. The Parties updated each other on European Green Deal 

64 The 7th GI Subcommittee took place on 9 December 2024. 
65 On 11 December 2020 the panel of experts found that Ukraine’s 2015 temporary export ban is illegal. 

85 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
initiatives  and  on  Ukraine’s  efforts  to  reduce  emissions  and  its  work  on  framework 
legislation for environmental protection.  

On 13 June 2024, the parties debriefed the Civil Society Forum on the issues discussed during 
the last meeting of the TSD Subcommittee.  

86 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DEEP 
AND COMPREHENSIVE FREE TRADE AREA BETWEEN THE EU AND 
GEORGIA 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) between the EU and Georgia is 
the main economic pillar of the of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement66 (AA) and entered 
into force on 1 July 2016, after having been applied on a provisional basis since 1 September 
2014.67  

This information sheet constitutes the report on the implementation of the EU-Georgia DCFTA.  

Georgia  was  granted  EU  candidate  status  in  December  2023,  on  the  understanding  that 
Georgia would take the relevant steps as set out in a Commission recommendation. However, 
the  rapid  democratic  backsliding  of  the  country,  the  reported  irregularities  surrounding  the 
parliamentary elections of 26 October 2024 and the anti-EU rhetoric of the Georgian authorities 
have been affecting the country’s trajectory towards the EU and Georgia’s accession process 
has de facto been halted68. Nevertheless, in December 2024, the Georgian authorities adopted 
the  “2025  Action  Plan69  for  the  Implementation  of  the  Deep  and  Comprehensive  Free 
Trade  Area  Agreement  (DCFTA)  between  Georgia  and  the  European  Union  and  other 
commitments beyond it”.  

Similarly to its previous editions, this report outlines the priorities of the association agenda in 
several sectors (including for example Technical Barriers to Trade, SPS measures, customs or 
IPR) and the relevant planned activities with mention of indicators, responsible implementing 
institutions and timeframe for implementation.    

Georgia is a member of the Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential rules of 
origin  (“PEM  Convention”)  and  applies  the  transitional  set  of  rules  of  origin  applicable 
alongside the rules of the PEM Convention on a bilateral basis with the EU since 1 September 
2021.  On  7  December  2023,  the  country  adopted  the  revision  of  this  PEM  Convention  that 
modernises the rules of origin applicable in the PEM area, which entered into force on 1 January 
2025.  

Georgia officially became a Contracting Party to the Energy Community Treaty on 1 July 
2017. 

66 The EU-Georgia Association Agreement was published in OJ L 261, 30.08.2014. http://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L:2014:261:FULL&from=EN  
67 When it comes to DCFTA application to breakaway regions Abkhazia and South-Ossetia, the EU gives its full 
support to Georgia's territorial integrity. However, in accordance with Article 429 (Territorial application) of the 
Association Agreement, conditions enabling effective implementation of the DCFTA, and notably de facto 
government control over those territories, would need to be created in either Abkhazia or South Ossetia for the 
DCFTA to apply to those regions, which is not the case at present. 
68 DCFTA AP 2021-2023 ENG.pdf 
69(ENG)_DCFTA_AP_2025.pdf  . 

87 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

2.1   Market Access: Progress and outstanding issues 

The  last  Association  Committee  in  Trade  Configuration  was  held  in  Tbilisi  on  12-13 
December 2023. Due to  the deteriorating political situation, no Association Committee took 
place in 2024 and the overall status of the implementation of the DCFTA was not reviewed. In 
2024 Georgia nevertheless made some progress in several areas of legal approximation: 

• 

• 

• 

In  the  area  of  SPS,  while  no  significant  developments  have  been  recorded  on 
aquaculture, Georgia completed a questionnaire related to the process allowing Georgia 
to export queen bees to the EU, which has been under consideration by the EU.  

In  the  area  of  IPR,  the  Georgian  Government  continued  its  efforts  to  reform  the 
intellectual property protection and enforcement system, especially concerning the 
patent law, the law on appellations of origin and Geographical Indications (GIs)s, the 
law  of  trademarks  and  the  law  on  copyright.  Legislation  on  copyright  and  industrial 
property rights remains partially aligned with the EU acquis. The Agreement between 
the Government of Georgia and the European Patent Organisation (EPO) on Validation 
of  European  Patents  (Validation  Agreement)  entered  into  force  on  15  January  2024 
allowing for validation of European patents on the territory of Georgia, based on a single 
European  patent  application.  Amendments  to  the  Trademark  Law  were  adopted  in 
February 2024, introducing changes to the grounds of appeal, new types of trademarks 
and changes to the examination procedure of trademarks. In the area of enforcement, 
stronger border, criminal, civil and administrative enforcement is needed. 

In the area of energy policy, Georgia, since joining the Energy Community in 2017, has 
continued  to  work  towards  approximating  its  energy  acquis  according  to  the  Energy 
Community  work  programme.  Georgia  continues  to  develop  the  related  framework, 
methodologies and regulations relating to the implementation of the Energy Efficiency 
Law,  Law  on  Energy  Performance  of  Buildings  and  Law  on  Energy  Labelling.  The 
transition model of day-ahead and intraday electricity markets was launched on 1 July 
2024.  As  for  the  Electricity  Integration  Package,  work  continued  to  prepare  the 
necessary  amendments  for  transposition  and  implementation  of  the  applicable 
provisions.  The  feasibility  study  of  the  project  on  the  Black  Sea  Submarine  Cable 
Project was completed in July 2024.  

• 

In the area of customs and trade facilitation, Georgia acceded to the Common Transit 
Convention and related New Computerized Transit System on 1 February 2025. 

•  Georgia has  also  continued  the approximation of its customs  legislation to  the EU 
acquis  and is  working  on the development  of the national  programme of Authorised 
Economic  Operators  (AEO).  Georgia  was  one  of  countries  where  the  modernised 
transitional  Pan-Euro-Med  Rules  of  Origin  were  applicable  from  1  September  2021. 
Georgia  and  EU  signed  the  Agreement  on  the  accession  to  the  EU  CUSTOMS  and 
FISCALIS programmes in 2022.  

88 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.2   Trade and sustainable development: Progress and outstanding issues 

The 8th TSD Subcommittee met on 18 June 2024 followed by a Civil Society Dialogue Forum. 
During the meeting a new action plan covering the period 2024-2026 was adopted. Progress 
was made on environment protection related commitments: 

•  Georgia  adopted  the  National  Climate  Change  Strategy  2030  and  its  Action  Plan 
2021-2023,  that  identifies  measures  and  actions  that  support  the  development  of  the 
Georgian economy and infrastructure in a way which sets Georgia on a pathway to meet 
its international obligations and national ambitions for climate change mitigation.  

•  Georgia adopted several decrees regarding forest management, record keeping and 
monitoring, for example the “The list of Forest Forming Wood Species”, “The Criteria 
and  Indicators  of  Sustainable  Forest  Management”  and  the  new  national  forest 
programme.  

•  Georgia  submitted  its  long-term  low  emission  development  strategy  and  is 

preparing to send its 5th National Communication to the UNFCCC.    

With regard to labour issues: 

•  Georgia  reported  on strengthening  its  labour  inspections  system,  through  new 
recruitments,  training  and  capacity  building  and  an  increase  of  unannounced  labour 
inspections and improving statistics. The EU side underlined the importance of adequate 
capacities  and  training  and  encouraged  the  ratification  of  convention  C81  on  labour 
inspections.  

•  The  parties  discussed  the  importance  of  ensuring  occupational  health  and  safety, 
preventing and combing child labour, ensuring effective social dialogue and promoting 
collective bargaining. 

•  The  EU  encouraged  Georgia  to  pursue  efforts  to  complete  alignment  of  its  legal 
framework  to  ILO  fundamental  Conventions  100  (Equal  Remuneration)  and  111 
(Non-discrimination). 

The Domestic Advisory Group under the EU-Georgia DCFTA met on 17 June 2024. Its joint 
conclusions  were  discussed  in  the  Civil  Society  Dialogue  Forum  on  18  June  2025.  They 
conveyed deep concern about the adoption of the law on” Transparency of foreign influence” 
and urged the withdrawal of the draft bill “On Family Values and Protection of Minors”, which 
in  its  form  would  prevent  the  implementation  of  the  ILO  conventions  111  and  190  against 
violence and harassment in the workplace.  

89 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3. 

MONITORING IN SPECIFIC AREAS  

An anti-circumvention mechanism applies to several agricultural goods i.e. beef, pork, sheep 
and poultry meat, dairy products, eggs and albumins, mushrooms, cereals, malt, starches and 
sugars as well as to processed agricultural products such as sweetcorn, processed sugars and 
cereals and cigarettes. For none of the products under the anti-circumvention mechanism the 
respective trigger levels were exceeded in 2024, due to the low level of trade flows for those 
products in the analysed period. 

90 

 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DEEP 
AND COMPREHENSIVE FREE TRADE AREA BETWEEN THE EU AND 
MOLDOVA 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) between the EU and Moldova is 
the main economic pillar of the Association Agreement (AA). It has been provisionally applied 
since 1 September 2014 and fully entered into force on 1 July 2016. The DCFTA comprises 
two  main  components:  trade  liberalisation  (in  the  form  of  a  Free  Trade  Agreement)  and 
regulatory approximation to the EU acquis. The EU and Moldova on 24 July 2025 reached an 
agreement to review and update the trade terms of the DCFTA. 

The  DCFTA  applies  to  the  entire  territory  of  the  Republic  of  Moldova  (i.e.  including 
Transnistria) since 1 January 2016, as per Decision No 1/2015 of the EU-Republic of Moldova 
Association  Council.  The  EU  monitors  the  implementation  of  these  arrangements  and  its 
adherence  by  both  Chisinau  and  Tiraspol  on  a  yearly  basis,  and  progress  is  assessed  in  the 
framework of the annual Association Committee in Trade Configuration.  

Moldova is a Contracting Party of the Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean 
preferential  rules  of  origin  (“PEM  Convention”)  and  has  applied  the  transitional  rules  of 
origin applicable alongside the rules of the PEM Convention on a bilateral basis with the EU 
since 16 November 2021.  The main objective of the  PEM Convention is to  define common 
rules of origin in the PEM area, aimed at facilitating trade integration within this region. On 07 
December 2023, the PEM Joint Committee adopted Decision n 1/2023 on the amendment to 
the PEM Convention. The rules of origin have been revised and modernized to simplify and 
enhance the rules’ flexibility, as well as facilitate better integration into the global value chain.  

The revised rules of the PEM Convention entered into force on 1 January 2025 and Republic 
of Moldova applies them since then. 

This  information  sheet  constitutes  the  report  on  the  implementation  of  the  EU-Moldova 
DCFTA,  in  line  with  the  reporting  requirements  of  the  Regulation  implementing  the  anti-
circumvention mechanism provided for in the EU-Moldova Association  Agreement.70 It also 

70 Regulation (EU) 2016/400 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 implementing the 
anti-circumvention mechanism provided for in the 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 
(OJ  L 77/53  of  23.3.2016).  According  to  its  Article  14,  the  Commission  shall  submit  an  annual  report  on 
implementation of this Regulation and Title V (DCFTA) of the Association Agreement. The report shall, inter alia, 
include  information  about  the  application  of  the  anti-circumvention  mechanism  and  set  out  a  summary  of  the 
statistics and the evolution of trade with Moldova. 

91 

 
 
 
  
 
 
constitutes  the  assessment  of  the  implementation  of  the  trade-liberalisation  measures  as  per 
Article 6 of Regulation (EU) 2024/150171. 

Moldova  was  granted  EU  candidate  status  in  June  2022,  and  in  December  2023  the  EU 
agreed  to  open  accession  negotiations  with  Moldova.  The  screening  exercise  in  view  of 
opening the accession negotiation of the EU acquis falling under Cluster 6 (External Relations) 
– which covers inter alia Chapter 30 on the Common Commercial Policy – is underway, with 
the explanatory meeting having taken place on 16 May 2024, and the bilateral meeting having 
taken place on 5 February 2025.   

Furthermore,  following  Russia’s  unprovoked  and  unjustified  war  of  aggression  against 
Ukraine, the EU adopted autonomous trade measures (ATMs) on 18 July 2022 to temporarily 
increase the size of the tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) for seven agricultural products72 for a period 
of one year. These ATMs were extended for another year on 20 July 2023 and 25 July 2024 
respectively and enhanced to suspend temporarily all outstanding tariffs (TRQs and the entry 
price system) under the DCFTA. All other Moldovan exports to the EU are already tariff and 
quota free.   

The social impact of the trade-liberalisation measures in the EU can be assessed to be rather 
modest. On the other hand, the impact on Moldova has been positive, as they have helped to 
show the people of Moldova the value of its European choice and support the country’s gradual 
integration into the EU internal market.  

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

2.1.   Market Access: Progress and outstanding issues  

In 2023, the EU and Moldova agreed a Priority Action Plan (PAP) which identifies immediate 
actions  that  can  be  undertaken  in  the  period  up  to  the  end  of  2024  to  accelerate  the 
implementation of the DCFTA and enhance access to the EU internal market. The PAP has 
been a success  as there  have been positive developments towards  completing almost  all the 
actions  in  the  PAP.  At  the  last  meeting  of  the  Trade  Committee  in  November  2024,  it  was 
agreed to fold the PAP into the new Growth Plan for Moldova73 and not to extend it upon its 
expiry at the end of 2024. 

In  2024,  Moldova  took  further  steps  to  approximate  its  legislation  to  the  EU  acquis  and 
comply  with  the  commitments  under  the  DCFTA.  Such  approximation  needs  to  be 

71 Regulation (EU) 2024/1501 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on temporary trade 
liberalisation measures supplementing trade concessions applicable to products from the Republic of Moldova 
under the 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 (OJ L, 29.5.2024, p. 1–5) 
72 Plums, cherries, apples, table grapes, grape juice, tomatoes, and garlic. 

73 Commission Communication on the Moldova Growth Plan   

92 

 
 
 
 
accompanied by effective enforcement by independent  and transparent  institutions, which is 
challenging in some areas, as well as by the necessary secondary legislation. 

Implementation  of  the  DCFTA  was  discussed  during  the  11th  EU-Moldova  Association 
Committee in Trade Configuration (ACTC), which was held in Brussels on 14-15 November 
2024, noting progress made on several issues: 

•  As  regards  TBT,  the  parties  noted  that  work  is  proceeding  according  to  plan  on  a 
possible  future  Agreement  on  Conformity  Assessment  and  Acceptance  of  Industrial 
Products  (ACAA) 
the  field  of  electrical  and  electronic  equipment  and 
electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). The preliminary legal assessment was completed 
in  2024,  and  operational  missions  are  currently  underway  on  standardization  and 
accreditation. Moldova noted that a substantial legislative programme is underway to 
overhaul the laws on standardization, accreditation and metrology. 

in 

• 

• 

• 

In the area of SPS, Moldova continued its approximation to the EU acquis. Following 
EU  authorization,  Moldova  is  now  exporting  class  A  eggs  and  fresh  and  processed 
poultry meat to the EU. Moldova also reported that it had put in place a pesticide residue 
monitoring  plan  and  adopted  the  regionalisation  principle  (in  line  with  the  EU 
approach). 

In regard to public procurement, the draft legislation on concessions which has been 
submitted to parliament represents a high level of alignment with the EU concessions 
Directive.  New draft legislation amending the public procurement law has also  been 
developed  and  sent  to  the  Commission  for  comments.  On  the  other  hand,  the  draft 
legislation on public-private partnerships continues to raise concerns; and there has been 
little progress on e-procurement, where the whole system still requires a redesign.    

In the area of customs, the Moldovan Customs Code came into force on 1 January 2024 
and is now broadly in line with the EU acquis although transitional measures are still in 
place including in respect of companies established in Moldova’s Free Economic Zones 
(FEZs). The Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme is also working well 
(Moldova  now  has  146  AEOs).  Moldova  is  also  showing  good  progress  on  legal 
approximation to the Common Transit Convention (CTC) which it hopes to join in Q4 
2025.  

•  On Telecommunications Services, Moldova reported that parliamentary approval of 

legislation on alignment with the EU roaming acquis is expected in Q1 2025.  

•  On postal services, Moldova has made good progress and is now aligned with the EU 
postal  acquis  (Postal  Services  Directive,  and  the  Regulation  on  cross-border  parcel 
delivery services). 

93 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•  On  IPR  cooperation  has  improved  between  Moldova’s  State  Agency  on  Intellectual 
Property  (AGEPI)  and  the  European  Union  Intellectual  Property  Office  (EUIPO). 
Moldova was invited to take full benefit of the ongoing EU4IP project which will also 
enable Moldova to continue to benefit from collaboration with the EUIPO to improve 
aligning its legislation with the EU acquis and enforcement. 

2.2   Trade and Sustainable Development: Progress and outstanding issues   

As it embarks on the accession process, Moldova will use the DCFTA implementation to build 
administrative capacity and reform its legal framework on sustainability.  

Following the meeting of the TSD Subcommittee on 16 March 2023 during the Association 
Committee in Trade Configuration (ACTC) of 14-15 November 2024 TSD related topics were 
discussed, and progress on the following issues was noted: 

•  As regards labour matters, Moldova ratified the ILO convention 190 (on violence and 
harassment)  in  March  2024  and  reported  improvements  introduced  to  its  labour 
inspections  system,  which  now  allows  for  unannounced  inspection  visits  in  specific 
cases. This   increases Moldova’s capacity to detect and regularise   undeclared work74. 
The  parties  also  agreed  on  the  importance  of  duly  involving  and  consulting  social 
partners  in  the  development  of  labour  legislation  and  of  strengthening  occupational 
health and safety. Moreover, some progress in combatting child labour was reported, 
with further progress expected such as in the agricultural field.  

• 

In the area of the environment Moldova reported on steps taken to develop legislation 
governing ecolabelling, the expansion of Extended Producers Responsibility Schemes 
and alignment of Moldova’s acquis with EU legislation on air quality. In the area of 
climate  action  both  Moldova’s  law  on  climate  change  and  the  Low  Emission 
Development programme 2030 became effective in 2024. Moldova also confirmed its 
intention to submit its Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement 
soon as well as adopt a long-term low emission strategy.  

The EU and Moldovan  Domestic Advisory  Group  started preparations  for the Civil  Society 
Dialogue Forum on 22 May 2025, which includes agreeing on implementation priorities in the 
Joint Conclusions.  

3. 

MONITORING IN SPECIFIC AREAS  

An anti-circumvention mechanism applies to several agricultural goods (including pork and 
poultry meat, dairy products, eggs, sugar and some cereals such as wheat, barley and maize) as 
well  as  to  processed  agricultural  products  such  as  sweet  corn,  processed  sugars,  dairy  and 

74 However, despite these positive developments, the legal framework governing labour inspections in Moldova 
needs to be further aligned with ILO Conventions 81 and 129. This is a point regularly raised by the Commission 
in different contexts, including in the TSD subcommittees. 

94 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
cereals and cigarettes. In 2024, Moldova’s imports of wheat, processed cereals and sweetcorn 
exceeded 100% and imports of barley exceeded 80% of the volume indicated in the DCFTA. 
After  analysis,  the  Commission  considered  the  justifications  delivered  by  Moldova  in 
December 2024 to be acceptable. 

95 

 
 
 
Western Balkans – Stabilisation and Association 
Agreements 

96 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRADE 
PILLAR OF THE EU-KOSOVO STABILISATION AND ASSOCIATION 
AGREEMENT 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The EU and Kosovo signed a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) on 27 October 
2015, which entered into force in its entirety on 1 April 2016. The SAA is the prime instrument 
of the EU’s overall policy towards the EU accession of Western Balkan partners.  

The SAA established a free-trade area over a transitional period of 10 years. It covers products 
in all Chapters of the Harmonised System. Only a few exceptions, concerning a limited number 
of agricultural and fishery products were not fully liberalised and are still subject to preferential 
quantitative concessions (Tariff Rate Quotas). 

The SAA also includes provisions concerning competition and state aid, investment and related 
payments, a high level of protection of intellectual property rights, strengthened co-operation 
in customs matters as well as in social and labour market policies, disciplines on government 
procurement and legislative approximation in many areas including standardisation, as well as 
provisions regarding services and establishment.   

The implementation of the trade related part of the SAA is discussed in the sub-committee on 
Trade, Industry, Customs and Taxation, which last took place for Kosovo in July 2025.   

Kosovo  is  a  Contracting  Party  of  the  Regional  Convention  on  pan-Euro-Mediterranean 
preferential  rules  of  origin  (“PEM  Convention”)  and  has  applied  the  transitional  rules  of 
origin applicable alongside the rules of the PEM Convention on a bilateral basis with the EU 
since 15 October 2022.  

The main objective of the PEM Convention is to define common rules of origin in the PEM 
area, aimed at facilitating trade integration within this region. On 07 December 2023, the PEM 
Joint Committee adopted Decision n 1/2023 on the amendment to the PEM Convention. The 
rules of origin have been revised and modernized to simplify and enhance the rules’ flexibility, 
as well as facilitate better integration into the global value chain. The revised rules of the PEM 
Convention entered into force on 1 January 2025 and Kosovo (*) applies them since then.  

Kosovo continues to benefit from Autonomous Trade Measures (ATMs) introduced under 
Regulation 2024/82375, which provides additional market access for certain fruits, vegetables 
and wines, thereby allowing nearly all Kosovan exports to enter the EU without customs duties 
or limits on quantities. The current ATM Regulation is due to expire at the end of December 
2025. 

75  Regulation (EU) 2024/823 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 February 2024 on exceptional 
trade measures for countries and territories participating in or linked to the Stabilisation and Association process 
(codification) 

97 

 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
The  Commission  was  informed  in  November  2019  of  Kosovo’s  plans  to  apply  for  WTO 
observer status. 

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

Kosovo has made good progress in implementing the trade provisions of the SAA since its entry 
into force. However, insufficient administrative capacity and coordination among institutions 
remain  a  challenge.  In  particular,  the  lack  of  legislation  on  losses  of  petroleum  (through 
evaporation) during transportation remains a longstanding concern among EU investors, as 
such losses are not deducted by Kosovo’s authorities and are thus not considered when they 
calculate customs duties and taxes.  

In October 2024, the “temporary operational security measure” blocking the entry of Serbian 
finished  products  into  Kosovo  was  adjusted  to  an  “increased  control”  measure,  imposing 
specific  manual  security  checks  on  the  import  of  Serbian  finished  products.  Currently,  the 
import  of  Serbian  finished  goods  is  only  permitted  through  the  Merdare  crossing  point.  In 
contrast,  goods  that  do  not  fall  under  the  category  of  finished  products  can  continue  to  be 
imported through other  crossing points. While  this  marks an improvement  over the security 
bans imposed in mid-June 2023, the limited capacity of the Merdare crossing and its associated 
customs clearance terminal frequently results in  lengthy delays. An expansion of the import 
possibilities for finished goods from Serbia through additional crossing points, and an end to 
the detailed manual checks was made contingent upon upgrading these crossing points with X-
ray scanners, a process which is currently underway.  

98 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRADE 
PILLAR OF THE EU-SERBIA STABILISATION AND ASSOCIATION 
AGREEMENT 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The EU and Serbia signed a  Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) on 29 April 
2008, which entered into force in its entirety on 1 September 2013, although the trade-related 
part entered into force already through an Interim Agreement on 1 February 2009 for Serbia, 
and on 8 December 2009 for the EU. The SAA is the prime instrument  of the EU’s overall 
policy  towards  the  Western  Balkan  partners’  EU  accession  process.  Serbia  was  granted  EU 
candidate  status  in  March  2012,  and  the  EU  opened  accession  negotiations  with  Serbia  in 
January 2014. Chapter 30, covering acquis falling, inter alia, under the Common Commercial 
Policy, has been open for Serbia since December 2017.  

The SAA established a free-trade area over a transitional period of six years. The SAA covers 
products  in  all  Chapters  of  the  Harmonised  System.  Regarding  agricultural  products,  EU 
agricultural imports from Serbia are almost completely liberalised (with very few exceptions). 
On the other hand, some EU agricultural exports to Serbia remain subject to tariffs and tariff 
rate quotas (TRQs).   

The SAA also includes provisions concerning competition and state aid, investment and related 
payments, a high level of protection of intellectual property rights, strengthened co-operation 
in customs matters as well as in social and labour market policies, disciplines on government 
procurement and legislative approximation in many areas including standardisation, as well as 
provisions regarding services and establishment.   

Serbia  benefits  from  Autonomous  Trade  Measures  (ATMs)  introduced  under  Regulation 
2024/823 76, which provides additional market access for certain fruits, vegetables and wines, 
thereby allowing nearly all Serbian exports to enter the EU without customs duties or limits on 
quantities. The current ATM Regulation is due to expire at the end of December 2025. 

Serbia  is  a  Contracting  Party  of  the  Regional  Convention  on  pan-Euro-Mediterranean 
preferential  rules  of  origin  (“PEM  Convention”)  and  has  applied  the  transitional  rules  of 
origin applicable alongside the rules of the PEM Convention on a bilateral basis with the EU 
since 06 December 2021. The main objective of the PEM Convention is to define common rules 
of  origin  in  the  PEM  area,  aimed  at  facilitating  trade  integration  within  this  region.  On  07 
December 2023, the PEM Joint Committee adopted Decision n 1/2023 on the amendment to 
the PEM Convention. The rules of origin have been revised and modernized to simplify and 
enhance the rules’ flexibility, as well as facilitate better integration into the global value chain. 
The  revised  rules  of  the  PEM  Convention  entered  into  force  on  1  January  2025  and  Serbia 
applies them since then.   

76 Regulation (EU) 2024/823 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 February 2024 on exceptional 
trade measures for countries and territories participating in or linked to the Stabilisation and Association process 
(codification) 

99 

 
 
 
 
 
Serbia  started  negotiating  its  accession  to  the  WTO  in  2004.  The  EU  continues  to  support 
Serbia’s efforts, but the negotiation process has been stalled for several years. ² 

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

Serbia has generally made good progress in implementing the trade provisions of the SAA since 
its entry into force.  

At the same time, as observed over the past couple of years, Serbia has a tendency of introducing 
ad hoc temporary trade restrictive measures, which are in contradiction to what is stipulated by 
the SAA.  

Quantitative restrictions on imports of sunflower oil and margarine introduced in March 2024 
and an import ban on wood pellets introduced in April 2024 were removed in March 2025.  
Additionally, in May 2025 Serbia revoked previously issued import licences and terminated the 
issuance of new licences  concerning  many  dairy  and meat  products,  significantly disrupting 
trade, but most of the licences seem to have been reissued by August 2025. An export ban on 
arms and military equipment that was introduced in July 2025 remains in force. 

Furthermore, a number of de facto trade irritants remained in place in 2024 and early 2025. 
This includes delays in issuance of import licences and the shortening of the time frame for 
import licences by the Serbian Veterinary Directorate (notably as regards dairy products), as 
well as lengthy and recuring veterinary and SPS border inspections.  

In addition, Serbia’s management of the tariff rate quotas granted to the EU for wine continues 
to rely on allocations over 4 quarters, with a maximum quantity per trader (rather than on a first 
come/first served system). This risks harming market access by EU exporters. 

Serbia continued to raise concerns regarding the impact of the EU’s steel safeguard measures.  

100 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRADE 
PILLAR OF THE EU-BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA STABILISATION AND 
ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The  EU  and  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  signed  a  Stabilisation  and  Association  Agreement 
(SAA) on 16 June 2008, which entered into force in its entirety on 1st June 2015, although the 
trade-related part of the SAA entered into force already through an Interim Agreement on 1st 
July 2008. The SAA is the prime instrument of the EU’s overall policy towards the Western 
Balkan partners’ EU association process.  

Bosnia and Herzegovina was granted EU candidate status in December 2022. Following the 
Commission’s report on progress in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the European Council decided 
on 21 March 2024 to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The European 
Council invited the Commission to prepare a negotiating framework with a view to its adoption 
by the Council the moment all relevant steps set out in the Commission’s recommendation of 
October 2022 are taken. 

The SAA established a free-trade area over a transitional period of five years. The Agreement 
covers products in all Chapters of the Harmonised System.  Regarding agricultural products, 
EU agricultural imports from Bosnia and Herzegovina are almost completely liberalised (with 
very  few  exceptions).  On  the  other  hand,  some  EU  agricultural  exports  to  Bosnia  and 
Herzegovina remain subject to tariffs and tariff rate quotas (TRQs).  

The Agreement also includes provisions concerning competition and state aid, investment and 
related  payments,  a  high  level  of  protection  of  intellectual  property  rights,  strengthened  co-
operation  in  customs  matters  as  well  as  in  social  and  labour  market  policies,  disciplines  on 
government  procurement  and 
including 
standardisation, as well as provisions regarding services and establishment.   

legislative  approximation 

in  many  areas 

The implementation of the trade related part of the SAA is discussed in the sub-committee on 
Trade, Industry, Customs and Taxation, which last took place for Bosnia and Herzegovina in 
April 2025.  

Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  benefits  from  Autonomous  Trade  Measures  (ATMs)  introduced 
under  Regulation  2024/82377,  which  provide  additional  market  access  for  certain  fruits, 
vegetables and wines, thereby allowing nearly all products from Bosnia and Herzegovina to 
enter the EU without customs duties or limits on quantities. The current ATM Regulation is due 
to expire at the end of December 2025. 

Bosnia and Herzegovina is  a Contracting Party of the  Regional  Convention on pan-Euro-
Mediterranean  preferential  rules  of  origin  (“PEM  Convention”)  and  has  applied  the 

77  Regulation (EU) 2024/823 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 February 2024 on exceptional 
trade measures for countries and territories participating in or linked to the Stabilisation and Association process 
(codification) 

101 

 
 
 
 
 
transitional rules of origin applicable alongside the rules of the PEM Convention on a bilateral 
basis with the EU since 11 December 2023.  

The main objective of the PEM Convention is to define common rules of origin in the PEM 
area, aimed at facilitating trade integration within this region. On 07 December 2023, the PEM 
Joint Committee adopted Decision n 1/2023 on the amendment to the PEM Convention. The 
rules of origin have been revised and modernized to simplify and enhance the rules’ flexibility, 
as well as facilitate better integration into the global value chain. The revised rules of the PEM 
Convention entered into force on 1 January 2025 and Bosnia and Herzegovina applies them 
since then.  

Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  started  negotiating  its  accession  to  the  WTO  in  1999.  The  EU 
continues  to  support  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina’s  efforts  to  conclude  WTO  accession 
negotiations.  

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

Bosnia and Herzegovina has made reasonable progress in implementing the trade provisions of 
the SAA since its entry into force.  

The latest Sub-committee on Trade, Industry, Customs and Taxation took place in April 2025. 
It discussed outstanding trade irritants, notably in the area of pharmaceuticals and in relation to 
alcoholic beverages (beer).  

Progress was made in 2024 and early 2025 in the area of pharmaceuticals, removing a trade 
irritant introduced in 2022 when various EU medicines were removed from the official lists of 
medicines which can be prescribed and dispensed by health insurance funds in four cantons. In 
2024,  the  European  Commission  continued  to  engage  with  the  authorities  asking  for  the 
measure to be removed.  

As  a  result,  all  cantons  adopted  new  lists  of  medicines  that  no  longer  discriminate  non-
domestic/EU pharmaceutical companies.   

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s excise duties on beer, a long-standing trade irritant introduced in 
2014, was discussed during the 8th Meeting of the Sub-Committee on Trade, Industry, Customs 
and Taxation in April 2025.  The relevant law allows reduced excise duties for breweries with 
a production of less than 400,000 hl (average past 3 years).78,  de facto benefitting Bosnia and 
Herzegovina‘s domestic  breweries and their production, as compared to non-domestic ones. 
Bosnia and Herzegovina should bring the legislation on VAT and on excise duties in line with 
the EU acquis, notably on excise duties on beer, and avoid further deviation from the EU acquis, 
notably regarding  excise on petroleum  products  (Q1 2026). Bosnia and  Herzegovina should 
also  eliminate  the  administrative  burdens  in  the  area  of  electronic  signature  (e-signature)  in 
order to ensure its interoperability and a harmonised countrywide system (Q1 2026). 

78 The EU also allows reduced excise duties for small brewers under EU Directive 92/83/EEC, but the ceiling of 
production is 200,000 hl/year.   

102 

 
 
  
 
 
  
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRADE 
PILLAR OF THE EU-MONTENEGRO STABILISATION AND ASSOCIATION 
AGREEMENT 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The  EU  and  Montenegro  on  15  October  2007  signed  a  Stabilisation  and  Association 
Agreement (SAA), which entered into force in its entirety on 1 May 2010, although the trade-
related part of the SAA entered into force already through an Interim Agreement on 1 January 
2008. The SAA is the prime instrument of the EU’s overall policy towards the Western Balkans’ 
EU association process.  

Montenegro was granted EU candidate status in December 2010, and the EU opened accession 
negotiations with the country in June 2012. Chapter 30 covering, inter alia, acquis falling under 
the Common Commercial Policy has been provisionally closed for Montenegro in 2017.    

The SAA established a free-trade area over a transitional period of five years. It covers products 
in  all  Chapters  of  the  Harmonised  System.  Regarding  agricultural  products,  EU  agricultural 
imports from Montenegro are almost completely liberalised (with very few exceptions). On the 
other hand, some EU agricultural exports to Montenegro remain subject to tariffs and tariff rate 
quotas (TRQs). 

The SAA also includes provisions concerning competition and state aid, investment and related 
payments, a high level of protection of intellectual property rights, strengthened co-operation 
in customs matters as well as in social and labour market policies, disciplines on government 
procurement and legislative approximation in many areas including standardisation, as well as 
provisions regarding services and establishment. 

Montenegro  benefits  from  Autonomous  Trade  Measures  (ATMs)  introduced  under 
Regulation 2024/82379, which provide additional market access for certain fruits, vegetables 
and wines, thereby allowing nearly all Montenegrin exports to enter the EU without customs 
duties  or  limits  on  quantities.  The  current  ATM  Regulation  is  due  to  expire  at  the  end  of 
December 2025.  

Montenegro is a Contracting Party of the Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean 
preferential  rules  of  origin  (“PEM  Convention”)  and  has  applied  the  transitional  rules  of 
origin applicable alongside the rules of the PEM Convention on a bilateral basis with the EU 
since 02 February 2022.  

The main objective of the PEM Convention is to define common rules of origin in the PEM 
area, aimed at facilitating trade integration within this region. On 7 December 2023, the PEM 

79  Regulation (EU) 2024/823 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 February 2024 on exceptional 
trade measures for countries and territories participating in or linked to the Stabilisation and Association process 
(codification) 

103 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Joint Committee adopted Decision n 1/2023 on the amendment to the PEM Convention. The 
rules of origin have been revised and modernized to simplify and enhance the rules’ flexibility, 
as well as facilitate better integration into the global value chain. The revised rules of the PEM 
Convention entered into force on 1 January 2025 and Montenegro applied them since then. 

Montenegro has been a member of the WTO since 29 April 2012. 

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

The implementation of the trade related part of the SAA is discussed in the sub-committee on 
Trade, Industry, Customs and Taxation, which last took place for Montenegro in July 2025.  

Montenegro continues to make good progress in implementing the trade provisions of the SAA 
since its entry into force. There were no trade restricting measures in place in 2024.  

104 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRADE 
PILLAR OF THE EU-ALBANIA STABILISATION AND ASSOCIATION 
AGREEMENT 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The EU and Albania signed a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) on 12 June 
2006, which entered into force in its entirety on 1 April 2009, although the trade-related part of 
the SAA entered into force already through an Interim Agreement on 1 December 2006. The 
SAA  is  the  prime  instrument  of  the  EU’s  overall  policy  towards  the  Western  Balkans’  EU 
association process.  

Albania  was  granted  EU  candidate  status  in  June  2014,  and  the  EU  opened  accession 
negotiations with the country in July 2022. Chapter 30, covering acquis falling, inter alia, under 
the Common Commercial Policy, has been open for Albania since December 2024. 

The SAA established a free-trade area over a transitional period of ten years. It covers products 
in  all  Chapters  of  the  Harmonised  System.  Regarding  agricultural  products,  EU  agricultural 
imports  from  Albania  are  almost  completely  liberalised  (with  very  few  exceptions).  On  the 
other hand, some EU agricultural exports to Albania remain subject to tariffs and TRQs. The 
SAA  also  includes  provisions  concerning  competition  matters  and  state  aid,  investment  and 
related  payments,  a  high  level  of  protection  of  intellectual  property  rights,  strengthened  co-
operation  in  customs  matters  as  well  as  in  social  and  labour  market  policies,  disciplines  on 
including 
government  procurement  and 
standardisation, as well as provisions regarding services and establishment. 

legislative  approximation 

in  many  areas 

Since  2000  Albania  has  also  been  benefiting  from  the  ‘Autonomous  Trade  Measures’ 
introduced under Regulation  2024/82380, which provide additional market access  for certain 
fruits,  vegetables  and  wines,  thereby  allowing  nearly  all  Albanian  exports  to  enter  the  EU 
without customs duties or limits on quantities. The current ATM Regulation is due to expire at 
the end of December 2025.  

Albania  is  a  Contracting  Party  of  the  Regional  Convention  on  pan-Euro-Mediterranean 
preferential  rules  of  origin  (“PEM  Convention”)  and  has  applied  the  transitional  rules  of 
origin applicable alongside the rules of the PEM Convention on a bilateral basis with the EU 
since 01 September 2021. The main objective of the PEM Convention is to define common 
rules of origin in the PEM area, aimed at facilitating trade integration within this region. On 07 
December 2023, the PEM Joint Committee adopted Decision n 1/2023 on the amendment to 
the PEM Convention. The rules of origin have been revised and modernized to simplify and 
enhance the rules’ flexibility, as well as facilitate better integration into the global value chain. 
The revised rules of the PEM Convention entered into force on 1 January 2025 and Albania 
applies them since then. 

80  Regulation (EU) 2024/823 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 February 2024 on exceptional 
trade measures for countries and territories participating in or linked to the Stabilisation and Association process 
(codification) 

105 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Albania has been a member of the WTO since 8 September 2000. 

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

The implementation of the trade related part of the SAA is discussed in the sub-committee on 
Trade, Industry, Customs and Taxation, which last took place for Albania in October 2024.  

Albania  continues  to  make  good  progress  in  implementing  the  trade  provisions  of  the  SAA 
since its entry into force.  

There are no significant trade barriers while the Commission continued its engagement with 
the Albanian authorities in 2024 to make progress on the following issues, including:   

Rakia produced in Albania is subject to a rate of excise duty, which is less than 25% of 
the rate applied to all other spirituous beverages, including EU imports.  

• 

In the area of public procurement, a potentially problematic amendment introduced in 
2024 to the Albanian Public Procurement Law allows the Council of Ministers, for a 
period of 3 years, to authorise central government institutions to negotiate and conclude 
international consultancy agreements in ‘areas of strategic interest’ and thus exempting 
them from opening competition. The Commission continued its engagement with the 
Albanian authorities to prevent this trade irritant from materialising. 

•  Furthermore, Albania has not yet complied with its commitment to enable EU nationals 

and entities to acquire agricultural real estate.  

106 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRADE 
PILLAR OF THE STABILISATION AND ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN 
THE EU AND NORTH MACEDONIA 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The EU and North Macedonia signed a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) on 
9 April 2001, which entered into force on 1 April 2004, although the trade-related part of the 
SAA entered into force already through an Interim Agreement on 1 June 2001. The SAA is the 
prime  instrument  of  the  EU’s  overall  policy  towards  the  Western  Balkan  partners’  EU 
association process.  

North Macedonia was granted EU candidate status in December 2005, and the EU opened 
accession negotiations with the country in July 2022. The screening report covering Chapter 30 
which  includes,  inter  alia,  the  Common  Commercial  Policy,  was  presented  to  the  Council 
Working Party on Enlargement and Countries Negotiating Accession to the EU (COELA) in 
October 2024.  

The SAA established a free-trade area over a transitional period of ten years. It covers products 
in  all  Chapters  of  the  Harmonised  System.  Regarding  agricultural  products,  EU  agricultural 
imports from North Macedonia are almost completely liberalised (with very few exceptions). 
On the other hand, some EU agricultural exports to North Macedonia remain subject to tariffs 
and Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs).  

The SAA also  includes provisions concerning competition  matters and state aid, investment 
and related payments, a high level of protection of intellectual property rights, strengthened co-
operation  in  customs  matters  as  well  as  in  social  and  labour  market  policies,  disciplines  on 
government  procurement  and  legislative  approximation  in  many  other  areas  including 
standardisation, as well as provisions regarding services and establishment. 

North  Macedonia  benefits  from  Autonomous  Trade  Measures  (ATMs)  introduced  under 
Regulation 2024/82381, which provide additional market access for certain fruits, vegetables 
and wines, thereby allowing nearly all exports from North Macedonia to enter the EU without 
customs duties or limits on quantities. The current ATM Regulation is due to expire at the end 
of December 2025. 

North  Macedonia  is  a  Contracting  Party  of  the  Regional  Convention  on  pan-Euro-
Mediterranean  preferential  rules  of  origin  (“PEM  Convention”)  and  has  applied  the 
transitional rules of origin applicable alongside the rules of the PEM Convention on a bilateral 
basis with the EU since 09 September 2021.  

The main objective of the PEM Convention is to define common rules of origin in the PEM 
area, aimed at facilitating trade integration within this region. On 07 December 2023, the PEM 

81  Regulation (EU) 2024/823 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 February 2024 on exceptional 
trade measures for countries and territories participating in or linked to the Stabilisation and Association process 
(codification) 

107 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Joint Committee adopted Decision n 1/2023 on the amendment to the PEM Convention. The 
rules of origin have been revised and modernized to simplify and enhance the rules’ flexibility, 
as well as facilitate better integration into the global value chain. The revised rules of the PEM 
Convention entered into force on 1 January 2025 and Republic of North  Macedonia applies 
them since then. 

North Macedonia has been a member of the WTO since 4 April 2003. 

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

The implementation of the trade related part of the SAA is discussed in the sub-committee on 
Trade, Industry, Customs and Taxation, which last took place in April 2025.  

North Macedonia has made good progress in implementing the  trade provisions of the SAA 
since its entry into force. There were no trade restricting measures in place in 2024. 

108 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The United Kingdom 

109 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EU-
UNITED KINGDOM TRADE AND COOPERATION AGREEMENT 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The EU-United Kingdom Trade and Cooperation Agreement (“TCA”) concluded between 
the EU and the United Kingdom (UK) sets out preferential arrangements in areas such as trade 
in goods and services, digital trade, intellectual property, public procurement, air transport and 
aviation safety, road transport, energy, fisheries, social security coordination, law enforcement 
and judicial cooperation in criminal matters, thematic cooperation and participation in Union 
programmes.  It  is  underpinned  by  provisions  ensuring  a  level  playing  field  and  sustainable 
development (LPFS) as well as respect for fundamental rights.  

While a  trade agreement  can never duplicate the benefits  of being  part of the EU, the TCA 
remains one of the EU’s most ambitious trade agreements. On goods, it offers zero tariffs or 
quotas on goods if rules of origin are met and ambitious rules on self-certification. In the area 
of trade in services, the TCA covers all modes of supply in almost all economic sector, specific 
regulatory provisions for a number of services sectors like legal services, and a mechanism to 
adopt  mutual  recognition  arrangements  for  professional  qualifications.  Within  intellectual 
property rights, the commitments cover topics like copy rights, design, trademarks, and trade 
secrets.  On  public  procurement,  the  TCA  incorporates  the  WTO’s  Agreement  of  Public 
Procurement (GPA) but goes further in terms of market access. For instance, EU companies 
who  are  established  in  the  UK  cannot  be  discriminated,  even  for  small  procurement.  In  the 
TCA,  the  EU  and  the  UK  have  also  committed  to  ensuring  a  level  playing  field,  e.g.  with 
comprehensive rules to prevent and address distortions created by subsidies, and high levels of 
protection of labour, social, environment and climate standards, which cannot be lowered by 
neither the EU nor the UK in a manner that affect trade and investment.82  

The TCA was signed on 30 December 2020, was applied provisionally as of 1 January 2021 
and entered into force on 1 May 2021. The Commission presented a fourth annual report on the 
implementation and application of the TCA on 4 April 2025.83 The Parties continued to meet 
in the joint bodies established by the TCA to supervise and facilitate its implementation. The 

82 See DG TRADE’s website for more information: https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-
country-and-region/countries-and-regions/united-kingdom_en  
83 See fourth implementation report on the EU- United Kingdom-TCA; published 4 April 2025: https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0149  

110 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Commission published the agendas and the minutes of the ten Trade Specialised Committee84 
meetings and the Trade Partnership Committee85.    

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

2.1   Market access: Progress and outstanding issues 

•  The consequences of the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the EU Customs Union 
and Single Market inevitably created barriers to trade that did not exist before. The 
EU has consistently raised these with the UK in the TCA joint bodies, emphasising the 
critical importance of providing timely and accurate information on border procedures 
and avoiding excessive trade burdens.  

•  The  fourth  meeting  of  the  Trade  Partnership  Committee  met  on  12  December  2025. 
Progress  was  made  on  a  limited  number  of  these  issues  flagged  by  stakeholders, 
notably  on  conformity  assessment  (certificates  and  labelling  requirements).  On  24 
January 2024, the United Kingdom announced that it intends to legislate to recognise 
the CE marking indefinitely for an additional range of product regulations. This will 
include the 18 regulations previously announced as well as three additional regulations: 
Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products 2010 Regulations, the Explosives Regulations 
2014, and the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and 
Electronic Equipment Regulations 2012. 

•  By  contrast,  no  progress  was  made  on  developing  a  Mutual  Recognition 
Arrangement  (MRA)  on  architects,  based  on  the  joint  recommendation  from  the 
professional bodies in 2022. Such MRAs are foreseen by Article 158 of the TCA and 
the Commission is positive towards adopting them – as long as the MRAs are balanced 
and do not provide a more beneficial market access for UK professionals compared to 
EU professionals.    

In  2024,  the  Commission  continued  its  engagement  with  the  United  Kingdom  on  the 
following outstanding issues, among others: 

• 

In the area of services, investment and digital trade, the UK’s sponsorship system 
remains a strong disincentive for companies when considering the hiring of EU services 
suppliers to provide contracted services in the United Kingdom. This can be seen from 
the low number of visas (17) granted in  2024 for EU  service suppliers (Independent 
Professionals  and  Contractual  Service  Suppliers)  despite  the  close  economic  ties 
between the EU and the UK and the ambitious market access commitments in the TCA. 

84 The ten EU-UK Trade Specialised Committees cover the following topics: Administrative Cooperation in 
VAT and Recovery of Taxes and Duties; Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures; Intellectual Property Rights; 
Public procurement; Level Playing Field for Open and Fair Competition and Sustainable Development; Customs 
and Rules of Origin; Technical Barriers to Trade; Services, Investment and Digital Trade; Goods; and 
Regulatory Cooperation. 
85 Meetings of the EU-UK Partnership Council and Specialised Committees under the Trade and Cooperation 
Agreement - European Commission 

111 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The EU therefore continued to ask the UK to exempt services suppliers covered by the 
TCA from the sponsorship system, as it de facto undermines the UK’s commitments 
under  the  TCA  concerning  the  supply  of  services  through  temporary  presence.  In 
addition,  no  progress  was  made  on  developing  a  EU-UK  Mutual  Recognition 
Arrangement  (MRA)  on  architects.  A  joint  recommendation  from  the  professional 
bodies  was  submitted  in  2022  under  Article  158  of  the  TCA.  The  Commission  is 
positive towards adopting them – as long as the MRAs are balanced and do not provide 
a more beneficial market access for UK professionals compared to EU professionals, 
which is not the case in the received joint recommendation.    

The Commission also continued to monitor the implementation by the United Kingdom of 
its new Border Target Operating Model published in August 202386. The responsibility for 
implementing the Border Target Operating Model and electronic certification for imports into 
Great Britain lies with the UK and the Commission is helping EU stakeholders to prepare for 
the new import requirements. The implementation of the new import regime has been posing 
some difficulties such as frequent changes in risk categorisation without proper notification, 
inconsistent interpretation of import requirements by different border posts, failure to respect 
the  EU  as  a  single  Sanitary  and  Phyto-Sanitary  entity,  outdated  import  requirements  not 
compatible with  the international  standards, delays in  introducing  electronic certification, or 
long delays in carrying out control. 

2.2   Level  playing  field  and  Trade  and  Sustainable  Development:  Progress  and 

outstanding issues 

The fourth meeting of the Trade Specialised Committee on Level Playing Field for Open 
and  Fair  Competition  and  Sustainable  Development  took  place  on  9  October  2024, 
discussing inter alia issues related to subsidy control, competition, labour and social standards, 
environment  and  climate  and  other  instruments  for  trade  and  sustainable  development  (see 
below):  

• 

In the area of subsidy control, the Commission expressed concerns on the UK subsidy 
scheme  “Sustainable  Industry  Rewards”  which  aims  to  reward  investments  in  the 
offshore wind supply chain.  The Commission  considered that the measure, as it was 
designed, seemed to  incentivise participants  to  set  up investment  in  the UK offshore 
wind supply chain, to the detriment of investments in foreign supply chains. The UK 
announced in the Trade Partnership Committee that the measure had been replaced by 
another  subsidy  scheme  called  “Clean  Industry  Bonus”  which  would  allegedly 
remove any discriminatory elements.  

86 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-border-target-operating-model-august-2023 

112 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  United  Kingdom  adopted  the  Subsidy  Control  Act  2022,  which  entered  into  force  in 
January 2023, and which constitutes the main legal framework of the subsidy control system of 
the  United  Kingdom.  The  Commission  continues  to  closely  monitor  the  enforcement  of  the 
United Kingdom’s subsidy control regime and whether it is delivering an effective system of 
subsidy control as required by the EU-United Kingdom TCA.  

Areas the EU continued to monitor in 2024 include the following: 

• 

In  the  area  of  subsidy  control,  the  United  Kingdom  has  announced  new  subsidy 
measures such as the “National Wealth Fund” and the “Great British Energy” in line 
with the new growth and investment policies in the United Kingdom. In that regard, 
the country has also announced a new domestic industrial strategy called “Invest 2035”. 

•  Regarding  environment  policy,  in  particular  carbon  pricing  and  carbon  leakage 
policies, the EU is following closely any possible divergences between the EU and the 
United Kingdom’s Carbon Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and Emission Trading 
systems  (ETS),  as  well  as  any  impact  on  the  price  of  the  United  Kingdom’s  ETS 
allowances.  The  UK  announced  in  2024  that  it  will  introduce  a  Carbon  Border 
Adjustment Mechanism as of 1st of January 2027, applying a charge on the carbon 
emissions embodied in goods imported into the United Kingdom from  the following 
sectors: aluminium, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen, iron and steel. The United Kingdom 
explained in  the Trade Partnership Committee that  it had launched a consultation  on 
28th  November  2024  where  it  seeks  to  extend  the  UK  Emissions  Trading  System  to 
domestic  maritime  transport  and  consults  on  the  possibility  of  extending  the  UK 
Emissions Trading System to international maritime transport in the future. Legislation 
is expected in 2025.  The EU noted that the coverage of maritime transport remains one 
of the areas where the EU and UK Emissions Trading Systems largely differ. 

In the area of labour and social standards, the EU DAG had expressed concerns on the 
compliance  of  the  Strikes  (Minimum  Service  Levels)  Act  2023  with  the  labour 
commitments of the EU-UK TCA (in particular Article 387 TCA and Article 399 TCA), 
which  the  Commission  had  raised  in  previous  Trade  Specialised  Committees  on  Level 
Playing Field for Open and Fair Competition and Sustainable Development. 

Regarding  the  environment,  more  specifically  in  the  area  of  nature  credits,  the  United 
Kingdom has put in place a Biodiversity Net Gain policy, which aims to improve nature 
restoration in the United Kingdom through the introduction of a mandatory requirement to 
deliver a 10% Biodiversity Net Gain. This issue was raised during the Trade Specialised 
Committee  on  Level  Playing  Field  for  Open  and  Fair  Competition  and  Sustainable 
Development as an area of interest for the EU.  

The  EU  DAG  for  the  EU-United  Kingdom  TCA  is  providing  advice  on  the  whole  of  the 
agreement. The DAG is also being consulted on inputs for the Trade Specialised Committees 
and Trade Partnership Committee agendas. Four meetings with the EU DAG took place in 2024 

113 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
where  members  discussed,  inter  alia,  issues  relating  to  the  implementation  of  the  goods, 
services and level playing field chapters of the EU-United Kingdom TCA. The EU- United 
Kingdom  Civil  Society  Forum  took  place  on  20  September  2024  in  Brussels  where  civil 
society members of the EU and the United Kingdom gathered to discuss issues pertaining to 
the implementation of Part II of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.  

114 

 
 
 
 
Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Türkiye 

115 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EU-
SWITZERLAND TRADE AGREEMENT 

1. 

THE AGREEMENTS 

The EU-Swiss trade relations are among the deepest worldwide outside the context of a customs 
union/internal market. For Switzerland, the EU is by far the most important trading partner. For 
the EU, Switzerland is the fourth overall trading partner, number three for services trade. 

The cornerstone of EU-Swiss trade relations is the EU-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement 
(hereinafter,  the  “FTA”)  that  entered  into  force  on  1  January  197387,  the  oldest  trade 
agreement signed by the EU.  

Given that the Principality of  Liechtenstein88  and Switzerland constitute a Customs Union 
and the fact that the Principality of Liechtenstein expressed the desire for all the provisions of 
the EU-Swiss Free Trade Agreement to apply to it, an additional agreement89 was adopted to 
extend the full validity of the EU-Swiss FTA to the Principality of Liechtenstein.    

The  FTA  concerns  goods  but  lacks  provisions  on  services,  investment,  intellectual  property 
rights  (IPR),  government  procurement  or  social  and  environmental  values.  No  dispute 
settlement  mechanism  is  foreseen  beyond  the  regular  annual  dialogue  in  Joint  Committee 
meetings.  

Since 1999, the EU and Switzerland concluded a number of additional agreements which are 
relevant from a trade perspective:  

− 

− 

− 

− 

− 

The  Free  Movement  of  Persons  Agreement90  allows  for  the  provision  of  services, 
limited  in  time,  through  natural  persons  posted  in  Switzerland  as  well  as  for  the 
establishment of self-employed persons. 
The  Mutual  Recognition  Agreement  in  relation  to  conformity  assessment91  ensures 
that,  in  20  regulated  sectors,  the  conformity  assessment  provided  by  one  party  is 
recognised by the other, which facilitates trade between the parties.   
The Public Procurement Agreement92 builds on the WTO Government Procurement 
Agreement. 
The Agreement on trade in agricultural products93 includes sanitary and phytosanitary 
rules, as well as tariffs and tariff rate quotas for agricultural products, except for cheese 
that is fully liberalised.  
A protocol on processed agricultural products (protocol 2), added to the Free Trade 
Agreement in 2004. It includes a mechanism whereby in practice Switzerland receives 

87 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/ALL/?uri=OJ:L:1972:300:TOC  
88 Liechtenstein’s trade relationship with the EU is further enhanced through its EEA membership and access to 
the EU single market.    
89 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A21972A0722%2804%29  
90 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A22002A0430%2801%29  
91 http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2013/december/tradoc_152006.pdf  
92 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:22002A0430(06)  
93 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2002.114.01.0132.01.ENG 

116 

 
 
 
 
compensation for the very significant price differential of basic agricultural products – 
which  serve  as  inputs  to  processed  agricultural  products  –  between  the  EU  and 
Switzerland. 

− 

The Agreement on Customs facilitation and security (as modified in 2021).94 

The current legal arrangements governing trade relations between the EU and Switzerland, the 
EU’s fourth largest trading partner world-wide do not live up to the standards governing modern 
and  comprehensive  trade  agreements  concluded  by  the  EU  and  Switzerland/EFTA, 
respectively. A modernisation of the FTA is therefore needed to unlock the potential for further 
bilateral trade. 

After negotiations on an Institutional Framework Agreement (IFA) failed,  

 in December 2023 the EU and Switzerland reached a Common Understanding, which sets 
out a broad and balanced package of measures that will support the modernisation and further 
development of bilateral relations between the EU and Switzerland. The elements set out in the 
Common Understanding ensure the protection of the rights of EU citizens in Switzerland as 
well as fair competition between EU and Swiss companies operating in the same markets.  

The package includes: 

•  Institutional solutions necessary for the smooth functioning of the existing and future 
internal market related agreements (including the Mutual Recognition Agreement) in 
which  Switzerland  participates,  including  dynamic  alignment,  uniform  interpretation 
and application and dispute settlement with a role for the Court of Justice; 

•  State aid disciplines to ensure a level playing field; 
•  A way forward on the free movement of persons and posting of workers. It identifies 
ways  to  protect  the  rights  of  EU  citizens  and  workers,  including  by  ensuring  non-
discrimination between citizens of different Member States; 

•  An agreement that would form the basis for Switzerland's regular contribution to social 

and economic cohesion in the EU; 

•  An  agreement  that  would  provide  for  the  association  of  Switzerland  to  Union 
programmes, including Horizon Europe. The Common Understanding also provides a 
way forward for transitional arrangements that would enable Swiss entities to apply for 
grants under some Union research programmes before the negotiations are concluded 
on the understanding that the association process will be completed swiftly; 

•  Provisions for the relaunch of negotiations on agreements on electricity, food safety and 

health; 

•  Practical ways forward (modus vivendi) for EU-Swiss bilateral relations for the duration 

of the negotiations. 

The  negotiations  on  the  package  were  launched  on  18  March  2024,  and  completed  on  20 
December 2024. The completion of the negotiations marks the opening of the signature and 
ratification process in the EU and in Switzerland. 

94 EUR-Lex - 02009A0731(01)-20210315 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu)  

117 

 
 
 
 
 
Switzerland is a Contracting Party of the Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean 
preferential  rules  of  origin  (“PEM  Convention”)  and  has  applied  the  transitional  rules  of 
origin applicable alongside the rules of the PEM Convention on a bilateral basis with the EU 
since 01 September 2021. The main objective of the PEM Convention is to define common 
rules of origin in the PEM area, aimed at facilitating trade integration within this region. On 07 
December 2023, the PEM Joint Committee adopted Decision n 1/2023 on the amendment to 
the PEM Convention. The rules of origin have been revised and modernized to simplify and 
enhance the rules’ flexibility, as well as facilitate better integration into the global value chain. 
The revised rules of the PEM Convention entered into force on 1 January 2025 and Switzerland 
applies them since then. 

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES  

In 2024, some progress was made on implementation of the FTA, notably on:  

•  Adapting the reference prices of basic agricultural products needed in the context of 
the price compensation mechanism for processed agricultural products (protocol 2 to 
the FTA) with the entry into force of the adaptation of Protocol 2 on 1 February 2024;   

•  The application of the shared methodology for the calculations of reference prices, 
which  aims  to  facilitate  work  on  annual  adjustments.  However,  the  EU  remains 
dissatisfied with the unbalanced nature of Protocol 2 which was negotiated many years 
ago and should in its view be modernised. 

By  contrast,  a  number  of  implementation  issues  notably  in  public  procurement,  the 
agricultural  sector,  the  services  sector  and  state  aid  require  further  engagement  with 
Switzerland: 

Concerns remaining in public procurement  

•  Following the January 2021 revision of the Federal Law on Public Procurement (and an 
update of Swiss Ordinance on the Organisation of Public Procurement from May 2024, 
some companies complained about a lack of transparency in the terms and conditions 
of the contract award procedures. The new provisions introduce the obligation for the 
contracting  authority  to  examine  tenders  on  the  basis  of  economic,  ecological  and 
socially sustainable award criteria which, according to the accompanying commentary, 
encompasses the economic impact of procurement on the national economy and give 
priority  to  the  “most  advantageous”  tender  instead  of  the  “most  economically 
advantageous”  (contrary  to  what  was  the  case  before).  EU  business  representatives 
acknowledge  the  importance  of  ecological  and  socially  sustainable  award  criteria 
noting, however, that these should not be used as a pretext to unjustifiably discriminate 
against European market players and are enquiring how the social sustainability criteria 
is applied in practice. 

118 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•  The revised Federal Act for Public Procurement also introduced a price level clause 
(“Preisniveauklausel”) to take into account the different price levels in the countries in 
which the service is provided. A price level calculator was set up to support the new 
criteria.  Even though this clause has so far not been used, the EU raised the issue during 
the annual joint committee meeting under the Public Procurement Agreement in 2022, 
2023 and 2024. The Swiss delegation stated that the application of the criterion has not 
been applied so far by procurement entities and that in any case, such criterion would 
apply only to procurement not covered by Switzerland’s international commitments. So 
far, a potential pilot project on its implementation has not been undertaken due to the 
lack  of  interest  from  economic  operators.  At  cantonal  level,  there  is  no  political  act 
which has introduced such criterion.  

Concerns remaining in the area of agriculture 

•  One of the market access barriers in agriculture for EU companies is the lack of non-
discriminatory  rules  for  the  awarding  of  the  main  private  organic  food  label  in 
Switzerland.  Unlike  other  countries,  Switzerland  has  chosen  not  to  have  a  uniform, 
government-regulated organic label. The only certification body for organic food that is 
widespread in Switzerland is the private organisation BioSuisse, which has around 75% 
share  on  the  organic  market.  The  biggest  seller  of  organic  food  in  Switzerland  only 
accepts products with the BioSuisse label (the "Biosuisse Bud", highly recognized by 
consumers). Generally, it is challenging for non-Swiss producers to be able to use the 
label as it tends to favour Swiss domestic agricultural products. The awarding of the 
Biosuisse label lacks transparency in many respects, so that, even when equivalent, few 
EU products are found to meet the required conditions to acquire the label. In addition, 
the  strict  content  requirements  of  the  Biosuisse  label  for  food  products  mean  that 
suppliers of organic raw materials from the EU are indirectly disadvantaged compared 
to Swiss suppliers.    

Remaining issues in the services sector 

•  The  so-called  “flanking  measures”  that  the  Swiss  put  in  place  to  accompany  the 
implementation  of  the  EU-Switzerland  Free  Movement  of  Persons  Agreement 
(FMOPA)95  are  a  long-standing  trade  issue,  as  the  EU  considers  some  of  them 
burdensome  and  disproportionate  and  incompatible  with  the  FMOPA.  For  example, 
Switzerland  imposes  obligations  on  EU  businesses,  who  want  to  supply  a  service  in 
Switzerland, including an 8-days pre-announcement obligation, a deposit requirement 
and an obligation to contribute to control costs. Possible solutions have been explored 
in the context of the negotiations on the package of bilateral agreements.  

95 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A22002A0430%2801%29 

119 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The lack of a level playing field as regards state aid persists 

•  The FTA does contain state aid rules, but Switzerland does not respect them. The other 
existing  agreements  between  the  EU  and  Switzerland  (except  for  the  Air  Transport 
Agreement) do not include effective state aid rules.  

• 

In the future package of bilateral agreements, provisions on State aid are to be included 
in agreements on air and land transport, as well as in the electricity agreement. 

120 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EU-
NORWAY TRADE AGREEMENT 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Norway and the EU entered into force on 1 July 
1973. It applies to goods only and is one of the oldest trade agreements signed by the EU.  

Although  still  in  force,  it  has  been  superseded  in  many  respects  by  the  Agreement  on  the 
European  Economic  Area  (EEA),  which  entered  into  force  on  1  January  1994  and  brings 
together the EU Member States and the three EEA EFTA States — Iceland, Liechtenstein and 
Norway — in the internal market. The EEA Agreement ensures the free movement of goods, 
services, capital and persons between Norway and the EU and is the backbone of EU-Norway 
cooperation. Members of the EEA fully apply the whole acquis communautaire related to the 
"four  freedoms"  through  dynamic  incorporation  of  the  relevant  legislative  acts  into  the 
Protocols and Annexes of the EEA Agreement via Joint Committee Decisions. 

The  EEA  Agreement  does  not  cover  the  common  agricultural  and  fisheries  policies,  which 
means that agricultural and fisheries products are not in free circulation between the EU and 
Norway. Preferential  trade in  agricultural  products  between the EU and  Norway is  ruled by 
Article 19 of the EEA Agreement and provides duty free access for 36 tariff lines and a number 
of tariff rate quotas. Processed agricultural products are covered by a dedicated protocol to the 
EEA Agreement but are also not in free circulation.  

Negotiations on a limited number of tariff-rate quotas for exports of fisheries products from 
Norway  to  the  EU  in  conjunction  with  negotiations  on  Norway’s  financial  contribution  to 
economic  and  social  cohesion  in  the  EEA  (“financial  mechanism”)  were  concluded  in 
November 2023, with a small increase in real terms of the financial contribution and a near 
status quo in quantities in terms of access for Norwegian fisheries products. The new tariff rate 
quotas entered into force on 1 January 2025.  

Norway  is  a  Contracting  Party  of  the  Regional  Convention  on  pan-Euro-Mediterranean 
preferential  rules  of  origin  (“PEM  Convention”)  and  has  applied  the  transitional  rules  of 
origin applicable alongside the rules of the PEM Convention on a bilateral basis with the EU 
since 01 September 2021. The main objective of the PEM Convention is to define common 
rules of origin in the PEM area, aimed at facilitating trade integration within this region. On 07 
December 2023, the PEM Joint Committee adopted Decision n 1/2023 on the amendment to 
the PEM Convention. The rules of origin have been revised and modernized to simplify and 
enhance the rules’ flexibility, as well as facilitate better integration into the global value chain. 
The revised rules of the PEM Convention entered into force on 1 January 2025 and Norway 
applies them since then. 

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

The main implementation issue continues to be processed agricultural products (PAPs) and 
Geographical Indications (GIs).   

121 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Processed Agricultural Products (PAPs) 

EU  exports  of  processed  agricultural  products96  remain  below  their  potential  due  to  high 
customs  tariffs.  2024  has  not  seen  any  progress  on  liberalisation  of  trade  in  processed 
agricultural products within the framework of Article 2 (2) and Article 6 of Protocol 3 to the 
EEA Agreement. Norway has repeatedly expressed its wish to keep Protocol 3 unchanged and 
has  been  unwilling  to  make  any  commitments  towards  further  liberalization,  because  of  the 
perceived positive results of the Protocol for Norway. 

In 2024 Norway decided to switch the method of calculation of import duties from a specific 
duty  to  ad  valorem  basis  for  five  categories  of  vegetables  (iceberg  lettuce,  celeriac,  salad 
beetroot, swedes, and potatoes). This primarily affects EU exporters, who are by a large extent 
the main suppliers of the Norwegian market. 

Fisheries - salmon 

•  On seafood, Norway bans the export of “production” grade salmon. The consequence 
is that Norwegian processors have access to a much cheaper input than EU processors 
as once processed the final product can be exported as normal salmon. This puts EU 
processors at a competitive disadvantage. The measure is not new but the increase in 
the proportion of “production” grade salmon to almost a third of total production means 
that this measure now has a significant impact. 

Agricultural products: cheeses from Lithuania  

•  The issue of the Lithuanian Dziugas cheese remains open. Dziugas faces an MFN import 
tariff  of  277%  whereas  similar  cheeses  of  other  EU  Member  States,  the  UK,  and 
Switzerland origin (for example Grana Padano, Parmigiano Reggiano, Appenzeller) are 
subject to a preferential duty rate (27.15 NOK/kg). 

Geographical Indications (GIs)  

•  Negotiations  on  Geographical  Indications  launched  in  2013  between  the  EU  and 
Norway remain suspended (since April 2016). The Council of the European Union in 
its Conclusions of June 2022 called again on Norway to “resume the negotiations on the 
protection of geographical indications, which is an important element of international 
trade in agricultural products and foodstuffs”.  

The  EU  and  Norway  had  their  first  informal  dialogue  on  trade  at  technical  level  on  9 
December 2024. This gave the opportunity to have a constructive dialogue with Norway on the 
above-mentioned trade issues between the Parties. 

96 Trade in processed agricultural products is regulated by Protocol 3 to the EEA agreement and to a certain 
extent by Protocol 2 to the 1973 FTA. Protocol 3 of the EEA foresees the possibility to levy customs duties 
based on the cost of the basic agricultural products in the EU and in Norway. 

122 

 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EU-
ICELAND TRADE AGREEMENT 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Iceland and the EU entered into force on 1 April 
1973. It applies to goods only and is one of the oldest trade agreements signed by the EU.  

Although  still  in  force,  it  has  been  superseded  in  many  respects  by  the  Agreement  on  the 
European  Economic  Area  (EEA),  which  entered  into  force  on  1  January  1994  and  brings 
together the EU Member States and the three EEA EFTA States — Iceland, Liechtenstein and 
Norway — in the internal market. The EEA Agreement ensures the free movement of goods, 
services, capital and persons between Iceland and the EU and is the backbone of EU-Iceland 
cooperation. Members of the EEA fully apply the whole acquis communautaire related to the 
"four  freedoms"  through  dynamic  incorporation  of  the  relevant  legislative  acts  into  the 
Protocols and Annexes of the EEA Agreement via Joint Committee Decisions. 

The  EEA  Agreement  does  not  cover  the  common  agricultural  and  fisheries  policies,  which 
means that agricultural and fisheries products are not in free circulation between the EU and 
Iceland.  Preferential  trade  in  agricultural  products  between  the  EU  and  Iceland  is  ruled  by 
bilateral  agreements  taken  within  the  framework  of  Article  19  of  the  EEA  Agreement. 
Processed agricultural products are covered by protocol 3 to the EEA Agreement but are also 
not in free circulation.  

Negotiations on a limited number of tariff-rate quotas for exports of fisheries products 
from Iceland to the EU held in conjunction with negotiations on Iceland’s financial contribution 
to economic and social cohesion in the EEA (“financial mechanism”) for the period 2021-2028 
ended in November 2023 with a small increase in real terms of the financial contribution 
and a near status quo in quantities in terms of access for Icelandic fisheries products. The new 
tariff rate quotas entered into force on 1 January 2025. 

Island  is  a  Contracting  Party  of  the  Regional  Convention  on  pan-Euro-Mediterranean 
preferential  rules  of  origin  (“PEM  Convention”)  and  has  applied  the  transitional  rules  of 
origin applicable alongside the rules of the PEM Convention on a bilateral basis with the EU 
since 01 September 2021. The main objective of the PEM Convention is to define common 
rules of origin in the PEM area, aimed at facilitating trade integration within this region. On 07 
December 2023, the PEM Joint Committee adopted Decision n 1/2023 on the amendment to 
the PEM Convention. The rules of origin have been revised and modernized to simplify and 
enhance the rules’ flexibility, as well as facilitate better integration into the global value chain. 
The revised rules of the PEM Convention entered into force on 1 January 2025 and Island has 
applied them since then. 

123 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

The  main  implementation  issues  concern  high  customs  tariffs  on  processed  agricultural 
products (PAPs).  

In addition, products classified under HS 21069098 (preparations consisting mainly of fat and 
water, containing more than 15% by weight of butter or other milkfat) that would benefit of a 
0% tariff under the protocol 3 of the EEA agreement are classified by Iceland under HS 0406 
2000 with applied tariff 30%, plus 798 ISK per kg (equivalent of EUR 5.30), thus hindering 
EU exports to Iceland. The EFTA surveillance authority has taken up the case.  

2024  has  not  seen  any  progress  on  liberalisation  of  trade  in  processed  agricultural  products 
within the framework of Article 2 (2) and Article 6 of Protocol 3 to the EEA Agreement, and 
therefore high customs tariffs on those products remain the main long standing trade barrier.  

124 

 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
CUSTOMS UNION AND TRADE AGREEMENTS WITH TÜRKIYE 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT  

In 1963 the European Economic Community (i.e. the EU’s predecessor) and Turkey signed an 
Association  Agreement  (the  ‘Ankara  Agreement’),  in  which  both  parties  agreed  to 
progressively establish a Customs Union over a period of several years. An Additional Protocol 
was signed in November 1970, setting out a timetable for the abolition of tariffs and quotas on 
industrial  goods circulating  between the parties.  The final phase of the Customs Union was 
completed on 1 January 1996, with the implementation of the EU-Turkey Association Council 
Decision No 1/95, which is currently in force.97 

The Customs Union ensures the free movement of all industrial goods and certain processed 
agricultural products between the EU and Türkiye. It also requires Türkiye to align with the 
EU’s Common Customs Tariff, commercial policy, competition policy and intellectual property 
rights, as well as with the EU’s technical legislation related to the scope of the Customs Union.  

In  addition,  the  EU  and  Türkiye  concluded  two  further  bilateral  preferential  trade 
agreements: The Agreement between the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and 
Turkey on trade in products covered by the Treaty establishing the ECSC established a Free 
trade agreement for coal, iron and steel products in 1996, along with relevant competition 
rules. Association Council Decision No 1/98 (amended by Decision No 2/2006) provides for 
preferential concessions on trade in certain agricultural and fishery products. 

Türkiye  is  a  Contracting  Party  of  the  Regional  Convention  on  pan-Euro-Mediterranean 
preferential rules of origin (“PEM Convention”). The main objective of the PEM Convention 
is  to  define  common  rules  of  origin  in  the  PEM  area,  aimed  at  facilitating  trade  integration 
within this region. Following the adoption of the revised  PEM Convention on 7 December 
2023, which entered into force on 1 January 2025, a technical update of the  Customs Union 
bridging  legislation  (Decision  No  1/2006)  is  currently  under  preparation  to  introduce  some 
elements related to the implementation of the revised PEM Convention.   

Building  on  previous  European  Council  Conclusions,  upon  the  invitation  by  the  European 
Council  in  June  2023,  the  High  Representative  and  the  Commission  in  November  2023 
published  a  communication  on  the  “State  of  Play  of  EU-Türkiye  Political,  Economic,  and 
Trade Relations”. The communication made the following recommendations regarding EU-
Türkiye trade relations:  

•  Resume discussions on the draft negotiating framework for the modernisation of the 
EU-Turkey Customs Union, as proposed by the Commission98, on the understanding 

97 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:21996D0213(01):EN:HTML  
98 On 21 December 2016, the European Commission adopted a Recommendation for a Council Decision 
authorising the opening of negotiations with Türkiye on an Agreement on the extension of the scope of the 
bilateral preferential trade relationship and on the modernisation of the Customs Union. However, in the context 
of the deteriorating EU-Türkiye relationship the Council discontinued its deliberations in 2017. 

125 

 
 
 
 
that Türkiye keeps addressing the circumvention of EU restrictive measures against 
Russia via its territory rapidly and efficiently and continues to resolve trade irritants.  

•  Türkiye should implement effective measures to stop the re-export of Common High 

Priority (“battlefield”) items.  

•  On  this  basis,  and  in  a  broader  environment  conducive  to  the  resumption  of  Cyprus 
settlement talks, the Council should adopt the negotiating directives and authorise 
the Commission to open negotiations for the modernisation of the Customs Union.  

•  Set  up  a  new  High-level  Dialogue  on  Trade,  with  the  aim  to  tackle  the  remaining 

bilateral trade irritants and discuss further areas of cooperation.  

The April 2024 European Council held a strategic debate on EU-Türkiye relations, took note 
of the Joint Communication and invited COREPER to continue working on the matter99 . 

The  inaugural  meeting  of  the  High  Level  Dialogue  on  Trade  took  place  on  8  July  2024  in 
Brussels. 

The  General  Affairs  Council  on  Enlargement  in  December  2024  emphasised  the  EU’s 
strategic interest in a stable and secure environment in the Eastern Mediterranean and in the 
development of a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship with Türkiye. The Council 
also recalled the need for Türkiye to fulfil its obligations as regards the implementation of the 
EU-Turkey  Customs  Union,  ensuring  its  effective  application  to  all  Member  States.  While 
acknowledging  the  recent  progress  achieved  towards  resolving  trade  barriers  and  removing 
certain  restrictions,  the  Council  expects  Türkiye  to  continue  and  step  up  work  to  remove 
remaining trade irritants100. 

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES  

Since early 2022, there has been constructive engagement by Türkiye resulting in a decrease 
in registered trade barriers from 26 in early 2021 to 14 in April 2025.  

The EU-Türkiye High-Level Trade Working Group (HLTWG) in October 2023 identified 
five priority barriers to be addressed. The  inaugural meeting of the High-Level Dialogue on 
Trade on 8 July 2024, endorsed the engagement to address the initial five priority barriers and 
identified three additional priority trade barriers. The 3rd HLTWG on 11 March 2025, took stock 
of the progress  in  resolving  these  priority barriers  and addressing the complaints by the EU 
operators. 

Following this high-level bilateral engagement with Türkiye the following issues were solved 
over the reporting period:  

99 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/m5jlwe0p/euco-conclusions-20240417-18-en.pdf  
100 https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-16983-2024-INIT/en/pdf, recitals 98 and 107  

126 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•  Burdensome pre-conditions for export registration of copper scrap  

•  The  issue  of  banderols  for  alcoholic  beverages.  However,  a  new  issue  occurred  – 
a discriminatory Special Consumption Tax was put in place in December 2024. A lower 
tax amount on raki  (that is predominantly produced in Türkiye) than on other spirits 
with a similar alcohol content. 

Partial progress could be achieved on a number of additional trade irritants: 

•  Opening and transparent administration of the preferential quotas for live bovine and 
beef  meat  for  EU  operators:  Türkiye  has  unblocked  the  imports  of  EU  beef  on 
preferential  terms  at  the  beginning  of  2024,  however  the  quota  allocation  system  is 
untransparent and exporters from certain Member States complained that they do not 
have  an  equal  access.  The  Commission  monitors  the  implementation,  including  the 
transparency aspect.  

•  Difficulties faced by EU operators in the implementation of the Turkish Risk-Based 
Trade Control System (TAREKS). The roadmap of actions to address the issues faced 
by EU companies was developed, and several of its initial milestones were achieved. 
Information  meetings  with  the  EU  industry  took  place  and  Türkiye  put  in  place  a 
communication channel for EU companies to directly report their issues to the Ministry 
of Trade in view of their swift resolution.  

•  Complaints  from  EU  operators  regarding  products  under  the  scope  of  the  import 
surveillance regime. Regarding the products on the EU priority list, Türkiye exempted 
from the scope of the regime EU originating products: malleable fittings HS 7307.19 
and  floor  coverings  of  plastics  HS  3918.10.10.  For  these  products  a  certification  of 
origin  document  may  be  required  only  on  a  risk  basis.    The  EU  companies  are 
encouraged to write to the functional mailbox designated by the Ministry of Trade and 
communicate their issues regarding all other products.   

•  To  address  complaints  from  EU  operators  regarding  products  under  the  scope  of 
Surveillance  by  registration  of  imports  of  textiles  and  materials  used  in  the 
manufacturing  of  textiles,  Türkiye  committed  to  assessing  the  issues  faced  by  EU 
companies on a case-by-case basis and exploring the possibility of developing systemic 
solutions. It established a communication channel for this purpose. 

No progress has been made to eliminate export taxes on hides, skins, and wet-blue leather. 
Türkiye informed that the domestic downstream industry opposed lifting of the export tax on 
the grounds that it is in precarious position and the exports to the EU are at an elevated level 
despite the tax.   

The following trade irritants persist, and the Commission continues raising them in bilateral 
meetings with Türkiye and at the Customs Union Joint Committee:  

•  Resource Utilization Support Fund - a levy of 6% on certain importations depending on 

the terms of payment agreed;  

•  Barriers on Pharmaceutical Products Artificial Exchange Rate and the non-recognition 

of the EU’s GMP;  

•  Additional Duties and GSP liabilities;  
•  Government procurement (Domestic preferences, off-sets);  

127 

 
 
 
 
 
•  Local content requirements in Renewable Energy;  
•  Deficient IPR enforcement;  
• 

Import  regime  regarding  the  unliterally  increased  agricultural  element  duty  of 
sweetcorn.  

The  non-discriminatory  implementation  of  the  Additional  Protocol  to  the  Association 
Agreement towards all Member States including the Republic of Cyprus also remains a critical 
difficulty in the implementation of the Customs Union. 

128 

 
 
 
 
 
PART IV: AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC COUNTRIES  

129 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND KENYA 

1.  

THE AGREEMENT 

The  Economic  Partnership  Agreement  (EPA)  between  the  EU  and  Kenya  was  signed  18 
December 2023 (hereinafter: “The EU-Kenya EPA”) and entered into force on 1st July 2024, 
marking  an  exciting  new  departure  in  bilateral  trade  relations  It  constitutes  the  bilateral 
implementation of the 2016 regional agreement with the Eastern African Community (EAC) 
and is open for other members of the EAC to join.  

The agreement provides free access for Kenyan exporters to the EU market by removing tariffs 
and  quotas  on  all  Kenyan  exports  of  goods  (except  for  arms).  Kenya  will  benefit  from 
transitional periods and exclusion of sensitive products  from  liberalisation. The inclusion of 
safeguards will allow both parties to reintroduce duties if a surge in imports from the other side 
were to disturb or threaten to disturb their economies. This agreement will also help to promote 
trade and sustainable development objectives among like-minded countries.  

It  is  foreseen  by  the  EPA  that  the  protocol  on  rules  of  origin  will  be  negotiated  as  soon  as 
possible, but at the latest within the first five years of the implementation of the EPA. 

The EU development assistance funds, through trade capacity-building measures, will support 
farming and rural employment, and farmers' capacity to comply with agricultural standards. 

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

2.1  

Market Access: Progress and outstanding issues 

The  first  EPA  Council  meeting,  which  took  place  in  mid-May  2025,  served  to  adopt  the 
various  rules  of  procedures  for  the  functioning  of  the  different  committees  and  notably  to 
discuss  market  access  concerns  and  to  launch  the  negotiating  process  for  the  adoption  of  a 
revised rules of origin protocol.  

Among others, the EU raised the issue of tariff liberalisation by Kenya, excise duties and export 
certification concerns. Kenya, who is imposing the 35% tariff 35% on the import of a number 
of  different  goods  from  the  EU.  This  exceeds  the  levels  agreed  under  the  Market  Access 
Schedules in the EU-Kenya EPA Article 11 and Annex II, which foresee that goods imported 
from the EU into Kenya shall be taxed between 10% and 25%, depending on the goods “Kenya 
therefore  needs  to  adjust  its  tariffs  in  order  to  bring  them  in  line  with  Article  11  and  the 
commitments under the Market Access Schedule in Annex II of the EU-Kenya EPA. 

At the first EPA Council meeting both sides agreed to discuss these issues during the first 
meeting  of  the  Special  Committee  of  Customs  and  Trade  facilitation,  scheduled  to  take 
place in  the autumn with the objective to  find workable solutions.  The Kenyan Minister for 
trade agreed to hold a phone call with EU Trade Commissioner for a stock-taking exercise on 
the implementation of the EPA and resolution of pending trade concerns. 

130 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In addition, Kenya in 2024 also adopted two new pieces of legislation, introducing new duties 
for (all? Imported goods): A new Business Laws Bill provides that several imported goods will 
be made subject to a levy between 3% and 20%) and a new Tax Law Bill introduces new excise 
duties between 5% and 35% on several imported goods and increases the Railway Development 
Levy on all imported goods from 1.5% to 2.5%. These provisions appear to be incompatible 
with Articles 11 and 12 of the EU-Kenya EPA, as they only imported goods are subjected to 
the new levies, that can be qualified as “custom duties” under Article 6 of the EU-Kenya EPA. 

2.2 

 Trade and sustainable development: Progress and outstanding issues 

The  agreement  includes  a  dedicated  annex  on  Trade  and  Sustainable  Development,  which 
covers  binding  provisions  on  labour,  gender  equality,  as  well  as  environmental  and  climate 
matters, including the following: : 

•  Strong,  enforceable  sustainability  commitments,  supported  by  EU’s  enhanced 

cooperation and engagement.  

•  Commitments to Paris Climate Agreement and core labour standards.  

•  High-level  obligations  to  combat  illegal  wildlife  trade,  illegal  logging  and  illegal 

fishing. 

•  Provisions on gender equality and women’s empowerment. 

•  A strengthened role for civil society and the creation of Domestic Advisory Groups. 

Both sides still need to discuss implementation issues in this area in more detail, starting at the 
first meeting of the Specialised Committee on Trade and Sustainable development. 

2.3 

Technical assistance and cooperation 

The Economic and Development Cooperation part of the EU-Kenya EPA confirms the EU’s 
ambition to support Kenya in its implementation of the agreement as part of the overall EU-
Kenya cooperation and within the framework of the current EU cooperation instruments. While 
the  original  agreement  with  the  EAC  has  been  largely  preserved,  some  changes  have  been 
introduced to the Economic and Development Cooperation Chapter, to align the outdated text 
to the current EU development cooperation programming. An Annex has been added to embody 
the changes.  

131 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (EPA) BETWEEN THE EU AND 
GHANA 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT  

Pending  an  Economic  Partnership  Agreement  (EPA)  with  the  West  African  region,  Ghana 
concluded a stepping stone EPA or interim EPA (iEPA) with the EU in December 2007101  
(EU-Ghana iEPA). The Agreement was signed on 28 July 2016 and entered into provisional 
application on 15 December 2016. The EU-Ghana iEPA will be replaced by the regional EU-
West Africa EPA once the latter enters into force.102 All EU Member States and 15 out of 16 
West African countries have signed the regional EPA; Nigeria’s signature is still outstanding. 

The EU-Ghana iEPA immediately offered to Ghana duty free and quota free access to the EU 
market, whereas Ghana only partially liberalises EU imports, over a 10 year transition periods. 
Ghana’s  HS2017  updated  market  access  offer  foresees  that  78%  of  tariff  lines  will  be 
progressively liberalised over the period 2020-2029. The third tariff cut, covering machinery 
and appliances products, was scheduled for 2024, and is currently being implemented. 

Since the provisional application of the EU-Ghana iEPA in 2016, total trade in goods between 
the EU and Ghana has increased by around 50%, reaching EUR 6,4 billion in 2024. In addition, 
the  foreign  direct  investment  stock  (FDI)  has  risen  by  15%  since  2016  to  roughly  EUR  5.2 
billion in 2023. 

Exploratory  discussions  on  a  Sustainable  Investment  Facilitation  Agreement  (SIFA) 
between the EU and Ghana are ongoing. A SIFA could complement the EU-Ghana iEPA (as a 
separate  agreement)  and  help  improve  the  transparency  and  predictability  of  investment 
measures,  simplify  procedures,  and  strengthen  public-private  dialogue.  It  would  also  be  an 
opportunity to formalise joint efforts in the field of sustainable cocoa, by integrating into the 
agreement  important  elements  covering  economic,  environmental,  and  social  aspects  of  the 
cocoa production. 

101 The official name of the Agreement ("stepping-stone Agreement") reflects the fact that the initial and ultimate 
objective for economic partnership in West Africa is a comprehensive, regional Agreement. It is also called 
"interim EPA". 
102 The regional Economic Partnership Agreement was signed in December 2014 by the European Union and 13 
West African Countries. In 2018, Gambia and Mauretania signed the Agreement, which means that only 
Nigeria’s signature is still missing. The Agreement will enter into provisional application when the 16 West 
African Countries sign it and 2/3 (11 out of 16) of these countries ratify it.  

132 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES  

2.1   Market access: Progress and outstanding issues  

The 5th meeting of the Ghana-EU EPA Committee was held on 15 and 16 November 2023103 
in Brussels. Much of the work in 2024 has focussed on intersessional work preparing the ground 
for the effective  implementation  of tariff cuts. This  will also  be a major objective at  the 6th 
meeting of the Ghana-EU iEPA Committee which is currently scheduled for the end of May 
2025. 

In 2024, the EU and Ghana convened two iEPA Committee preparatory meetings to discuss 
the implementation of the iEPA, on 30 May and 30 October 2024, respectively. The meetings 
covered  several  issues,  including  i)  the  transposition  of  Ghana’s  market  access  offer  from 
HS2017 to HS2022; ii) the implementation of Ghana’s third tariff cut; iii) the iEPA monitoring 
and  evaluation  report;  iv)  the  rules  of  procedure  for  dispute  settlement  and  the  roster  of 
arbitrators;  v)  follow-up  on  sanitary  and  phytosanitary  issues;  vi)  Ghana’s  registration  of 
geographical indications and related EU support.  

Progress was made on the implementation by Ghana of its market access offer at the meeting 
on 30 October, which concluded and endorsed the outcome of technical discussions on Ghana’s 
market access schedule and the transposition of Ghana’s consolidated offer. 

The third Special Committee on Customs and Trade Facilitation took place on 22 February 
2024, where parties discussed recent developments on customs legislation, customs reforms, 
and procedures; it also addressed issues on Rules of Origin and exchanged contact point for 
mutual administrative assistance. 

The 6th Ghana-EU iEPA Committee meeting took place on 22 and 23 May 2025 in Accra 
(Ghana). Senior Officials from both Parties convened to take stock of progress on the iEPA 
implementation and explore opportunities to enhance trade and investment relations.  

Key outcomes of the meeting included the following: 

i) 

ii) 

iii) 

Ghana confirmed the transposition of its consolidated Market Access Offer to HS 
2022 and the implementation of the 2024 tariff cuts (retroactively from 1 January 
2024.  
The Committee adopted the 1st Joint Monitoring Report on iEPA implementation 
(2016-2023), subject to additional comments to be provided by Ghana.  
The Parties discussed and clarified some issues regarding the rules of procedure for 
Dispute Settlement and agreed not to modify the relevant decision adopted by the 
iEPA Committee in 2022.  

103 https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/09242a36-a438-40fd-a7af-fe32e36cbd0e/library/4c011c8e-152f-4add-
8e19-86411bf3de07/details  

133 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
iv) 

 The Parties agreed to hold the next iEPA Committee meeting in 2026 (Brussels). 
In  addition,  further  iEPA  implementation  issues  and  support  measures  were 
discussed. 

2.2 

Trade and sustainable development  

The iEPA with Ghana does not include a TSD chapter. Nevertheless, sustainability issues were 
also part of the recent iEPA Commitees, including the meeting in 2023 with a dedicated session 
on sustainable cocoa and exchanges on policy developments related to TSD.  

The Samoa Agreement that replaced the Cotonou Agreement as the framework for the EU 
relationship with the ACP countries includes robust commitments on TSD. It also creates the 
basis for further collaboration on these issues between the EU and Ghana.  

The Sustainable Cocoa Initiative 

In 2024, the EU and Ghana continued their dialogue on sustainability of the cocoa supply 
chain and worked on the implementation of the Roadmap for sustainable cocoa adopted 
by stakeholders in 2022. The World Cocoa Conference on 22 April 2024 in Brussels took stock 
of progress made on the implementation of the Roadmap. The 2024 edition of the Cocoa Talks 
on  12  and  13  December  2024  reviewed  the  collective  progress  made  in  achieving  the 
Roadmap’s objectives and explored next steps and new commitments by various stakeholders 
participating in the Sustainable Cocoa Initiative. 

In 2024 the joint  priority  of the parties  was  to  continue supporting  the activities  of the four 
implementing partners of the Sustainable Cocoa Programme (i.e. the German GIZ104, the UN 
Food  and  Agriculture  Organisation  (FAO)105,  the  European  Forest  Institute  (EFI)106  and  the 
European  Commission’s  Joint  Research  Centre  (JRC).  The  Ghana  Cocoa  Board’s 
(COCOBOD) requests for support are well targeted and focus on traceability, which the sector 
will need in light of EU legislation on sustainability (i.e. the EU Deforestation-free Products 
Regulation107,    and  the  incoming  EU  Corporate  Sustainable  Due  Diligence  Directive108). 
Among other activities, the EU assisted the COCOBOD with the piloting and roll-out of some 
elements  of  its  Cocoa  Management  System,  with  the  development  of  a  deforestation  risk 
monitoring system and land-use mapping. 

104 Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit: https://www.giz.de/en/html/index.html  
105 https://www.fao.org/home/en 
106 https://efi.int/about 
107 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32023R1115  
108 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52022PC0071  

134 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Sustainable Cocoa Initiative - Background 

In 2024,  Ghana, Côte  d'Ivoire and Cameroon together accounted  for  58% of EU imports of 
cocoa and cocoa preparations4, for a value of EUR 8.9 billion.  Cocoa and cocoa preparations 
represented  49%  of  EU27  total  imports  from  Cameroon,  47%  of  EU27  total  imports  from 
Ghana and 72% of EU27 total imports from Côte d'Ivoire. While imports of cocoa beans to EU 
are duty-free on a MFN basis, imports of processed cocoa (butter, paste and powder) benefit 
from iEPA preferences. All three countries benefit from the quota free-duty free regime of their 
interim EPAs for cocoa and its transformed products. since processed cocoa products represent 
an important share in their cocoa exports (i.e. 46% for Ghana, 36% for Cameroon and 38% for 
Côte d'Ivoire). 

In September 2020, the European Commission launched a Sustainable Cocoa Initiative with 
a focus on Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Cameroon. The objective of the multi-stakeholder dialogue 
is to foster progress in the elimination of child labour in cocoa supply chains, enhancing the 
protection  of  forests  in  cocoa-producing  regions,  and  ensuring  a  living  income  for  cocoa 
farmers. The dialogue brings together key stakeholders from the cocoa value chain including 
government  representatives  from  the  producing  countries,  EU  Member  States,  European 
Parliament,  EU  chocolate  business  representatives,  retailers,  farmers,  and  non-governmental 
organisations.  

The “Cocoa Talks” have allowed for meaningful exchanges on sustainable cocoa production 
and trade, between stakeholders – the EU, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, the chocolate industry, cocoa 
traders, farmers organizations, and civil society. 

In  2024,  the  parties  continued  a  dialogue  on  sustainability  of  the  cocoa  value  chain  and 
focused on the implementation of a Roadmap for sustainable cocoa that includes concrete 
time-bound actions to improve the sustainability of the cocoa supply chain in West Africa.109 

2.3   Technical assistance and cooperation  

‘Compete  Ghana’110,  which  has  been  supporting 

The  programme 
iEPA 
implementation between the EU and Ghana between 2020 and 2024, was completed in early 
2024.  It  helped to  improve Ghana’s  economic  governance and business  environment  and to 
maximise the benefits of the iEPA for Ghana. The programme, funded under the 11th European 

the 

109 EU, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and the cocoa sector endorse an Alliance on Sustainable Cocoa (europa.eu) 

110 Budget of EUR 4,1 million. The project did not target any particular sector but rather focuses on building up 
Ghana’s capacity to implement the EPA and to engage on EPA-related matters, on improving competitiveness at 
firm level and on mainstream regional policies in favour of industrial competitiveness.   

135 

 
 
 
 
Development Fund (EDF), has been providing technical assistance to the Ministry of Trade and 
Industry (MoTI) in the following areas:  

•  Capacity building to help Ghana comply with the commitments of the EU-Ghana iEPA; 
•  Support in setting up the institutional framework (e.g. iEPA committees); 
•  Support in monitoring and evaluating the impact of the iEPA implementation with the 

involvement of the private sector; 

•  Capacity  building  to  raise  awareness  of  the  EU  Ghana  iEPA  and  its  advantages, 
including through a dialogue between the public and the private sector and with civil 
society. 

More specifically, the Compete Ghana programme111 with the support of three Key Experts and 
a Team of Non-Key Experts has strengthened Ghana’s administrative capacities in the setup of 
an iEPA Secretariat and in the implementation of the Accompanying Measures Strategy.  

111 https://www.competeghana.org/  

136 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (EPA) BETWEEN THE EU AND THE 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY (SADC) 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The EU-SADC Economic Partnership Agreement (“EU-SADC-EPA”) between the EU and 
six  countries  from  the  Southern  African  Development  Community  (SADC:  Botswana, 
Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa), was signed on 10 June 2016. It 
entered into provisional application on 10 October 2016 for all Parties to the Agreement, except 
for Mozambique, for which it entered into provisional application on 4 February 2018. 2024 
marked the eighth year of provisional application of the Agreement for all its Parties, the sixth 
for Mozambique.  On 26 July 2022, the EU-SADC EPA Joint Council adopted Decision No 
2/2022 approving the launching of accession negotiations with Angola. Formal negotiations 
for Angola’s accession to the EPA are expected to be launched as soon as Angola is ready. 

Since the day of application of the EPA, all SADC EPA States -except for South Africa- receive 
duty free and quota free treatment for all their goods (except for arms and ammunition) imported 
into the EU. South Africa receives such treatment for 94.4% of tariff lines for its exports to the 
EU and an additional 3.2% of tariff lines benefit from reduced tariffs or from preferential tariff 
rate quotas (TRQs). The Southern African Customs Union (SACU), comprising Botswana, 
Eswatini,  Lesotho,  Namibia  and  South  Africa,  grants  duty  free  and  quota  free  treatment  to 
84.9% of tariff lines for products exported by the EU to the region. An additional 12.9% of EU 
exports  benefit  from  partial  liberalisation  (reduced  tariffs  or  TRQs).  Mozambique  (a  Least 
Developed Country and not a member of SACU) liberalises a smaller percentage of exports 
from the EU. The final wave of liberalisation will take place in 2025 (in 2028 for Mozambique). 

The EU-SADC EPA is the first and only regional EPA in Africa to be fully operational (all 
partners are implementing the tariff cuts foreseen by the EPA).  

•  Since  the  2019  meeting  of  the  EU-SADC  EPA  Joint  Council,  the  institutional 
framework of the EPA is fully in place and operational. The Agricultural Partnership 
is in the process of finalising its operational rules.  

•  As from 1 January 2019, all SADC EPA States apply the reduction in EPA customs 
duties  for  goods  coming  from  the  EU.  Between  2022  and  2024,  Mozambique112 
further advanced with its EPA-related tariff liberalisation commitments. The final wave 
of liberalisation will take place in 2025 (2028 for Mozambique).  

112 The other SADC EPA States already migrated to the Harmonized System nomenclature in 2021. 

137 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
On  Rules  of  Origin,  SACU  States  have  fulfilled  the  requirements  to  apply  diagonal 
cumulation, and  since 1 June 2023 may apply diagonal  cumulation with all SADC EPA 
States and with certain ACP countries signatories of the ACP Joint Undertaking for the purpose 
of implementing provisions of cumulation in the EPAs.  

In February 2024, the 10th EU – SADC Trade and Development Committee endorsed its first 
EPA joint monitoring report.113 The report was published in March 2024.  

In  addition,  the  Commission  carried  out  an  independent  EPA  ex-post  evaluation  study 
completed  by  an  external  contractor.  The  final  report  was  published  in  September114.  It 
identifies areas for improvement in the effectiveness and impact of the EU-SADC EPA, with 
particular  reference  to  the  enhancement  of  the  problem-solving  role  of  EU-SADC  EPA 
institutions,  a  better  contribution  of  the  EU-SADC  EPA  to  sustainable  development,  the 
solution of some implementation issues, and the increase of the awareness of the opportunities 
offered by the EU-SADC EPA among private sector and civil society. These conclusions inform 
the ongoing joint review process, which is expected to be finalised in the coming months.115 
Trade  and  Sustainable  Development  has  been  an  important  element  of  the  evaluation,  in 
particular  how  to  make  better  use  of  the  provisions  related  to  the  dialogue  on  TSD,  which 
appears to be underutilised.  

Partnerships between the EU and SADC members beyond the EU-SADC EPA 

The EU and Namibia signed on 8 November 2022 a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) 
establishing  a  strategic  partnership  on  sustainable  raw  materials’  value  chains  and 
renewable hydrogen. At the Global  Gateway Forum in  October 2023  the EU and Namibia 
officially launched a Roadmap for 2023-25. While the MoU sets the vision, defines the areas 
of cooperation and provides a political framework for the enhanced cooperation, the Roadmap 
represents  the  actions  to  advance  the  goals  of  the  Partnership.  The  Roadmap  is  a  living 
document  with  regular  updates  to  reflect  progress  made,  and  new  opportunities  will  be 
identified in the course of its implementation. To be noted that in 2023 Namibia put in place an 
export  ban  for  certain  critical  minerals  such  as  unprocessed  crushed  lithium  ore,  cobalt, 
manganese, graphite and rare earth minerals. While the details of such ban remain unclear due 
to  the  lack  of  legal  basis,  restrictions  are  indeed  enforced,  risking  a  negative  impact  on 
Namibia’s investment attractiveness on the mineral sector. 

In  addition,  the  Sustainable  Investment  Facilitation  Agreement  (SIFA)  with  Angola 
(candidate to join the EPA in the coming years) entered into force on 1 September 2024. It is 
the first agreement of this kind and aims to support the creation of a more transparent, efficient, 
and predictable investment climate in Angola, and therefore foster sustainable investment by 
EU  businesses.  Pursuing  such  agreements  is  part  of  the  broader  EU  strategy  to  step  up 

113 The monitoring report is based on statistics mostly and responds to a set of indicators to measure EPA 
performance.  
114 Circabc 
115 The joint review is based on a discussion among the parties on the functioning and impact of the EPA across 
different areas. 

138 

 
 
 
 
engagement  to  unlock  economic  potential,  foster  economic  diversification,  and  promote 
inclusive and sustainable growth. 

The SIFA establishes an Angola-EU Committee on Investment Facilitation to oversee the 
implementation and follow-up on the agreement. The first meeting of this Committee took place 
on  21  January  2025  in  Luanda.  The  EU  and  Angola  are  working  together  to  implement  the 
SIFA,  with  the  EU  supporting  Angola  through  various  tracks,  such  as  the  modernisation  of 
Angola’s digital single window for investors, as well as a dedicated programme on ‘Promoting 
Trade  and  Investment  in  Angola’,  which  will  also  provide  technical  assistance  and  capacity 
building for SIFA implementation. The second meeting of the Committee is expected to take 
place in the first half of 2026.  

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

The Trade and Development Committee (TDC) and committees established by the EPA met 
in February 2024. The TDC addressed several outstanding issues, such as in particular:  

• 

• 

• 

the update of the list of Arbitrators to be appointed under the EU-SADC EPA dispute 
settlement mechanism; 
the interpretation of Articles 33 and 35 of the EU-SADC EPA on the applicability of 
multilateral and agricultural safeguards;   
the need for progress in the involvement of non-State actors in the monitoring of the 
EU-SADC EPA implementation; and the way ahead, in terms of scope and objectives, 
in the process of review of the EU-SADC EPA.  

Trade irritants (see further below) were raised on several occasions, both in the above meetings 
and in bilateral contacts – the EU and South Africa also held a dedicated meeting on market 
access in the margins of the TDC.  

2.1  Market access: Progress and outstanding issues  

In 2024, several trade barriers and irritants continued to affect EU-SADC trade relations (in 
particular with South Africa).  

In  the  area  of  trade  defence,  trade  barriers  imposed  in  2022  and  2023  by  SACU  countries 
continued  to  affect  EU  exporters,  notably  anti-dumping  duties  on  frozen  chicken  from 
Denmark, Ireland, Poland and Spain in place since 1 August 2022 and definitive measures on 
frozen potato chips from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands in place since 17 May 2023 
(NB: both measures were imposed for a duration of 5 years).  

A temporary rebate of ordinary customs duties (not applicable to anti-dumping duties) on 
imports of frozen poultry meat (with and without bone) decided by the SACU’s International 
Trade Administration Commission (ITAC)116 was introduced on 29 January 2024, following a 

116 In SACU, the Council of Ministers has delegated all tariff-related decisions, including those on trade 
remedies, to South Africa International Trade Administration Commission. ITAC is responsible for all aspects of 
trade remedies investigations except the final decision, which is taken by the Minister of Trade of South Africa.  

139 

 
 
 
 
 
 
review during which the EU submitted written comments and participated in an oral hearing. 
By contrast, EU exporters do not benefit, as poultry is already liberalised under the EU-SADC 
EPA.  The  EU  continues  to  advocate  for  termination,  or  at  the  very  least  suspension,  of  the 
above-mentioned anti-dumping duties in view of shortages on the local market.  

Another  area  with  important  trade  barriers  continues  to  be  SPS,  where  following  avian 
influenza outbreaks in several Member States during 2022, South Africa’s lack of recognition 
of regionalisation  brought  EU’s exports to  South Africa to  a complete standstill. The same 
applies for EU exports of pork meat from Member States affected by African Swine Fever. As 
regards the recognition of the disease-free status (once outbreaks are stamped out) following 
self-declaration to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), in 2023 South Africa re-
opened  market  access  for  poultry  from  Spain,  Ireland  and  the  Netherlands  and  in  2024  to 
Denmark.  However,  there  are  significant  delays  for  authorisation  of  imports  of  other  meat 
products from the EU (not affected by avian influenza African swine fever or Foot-and-Mouth 
Disease), as well as requests on genetic material and some fruits. The EU is actively engaging 
with South Africa concerning the recognition of regionalisation. 

Trade barriers were also  discussed during  the eighth  EU-South Africa Summit which took 
place in Cape Town on 13 March 2025, with the goal to discuss avenues to further strengthen 
trade and investment ties based on shared interests in clean technology and sustainable supply 
chains. In their Joint Declaration117, EU and South Africa agreed to work together to address 
existing challenges in trade in animal and plant products. In particular, South Africa committed 
to find a solution to facilitate the imports of poultry from disease-free areas in the EU into South 
Africa without delay and finalise the most advanced EU market  access  applications without 
delay. 

Other areas of concern for market access in SADC EPA States include: 

• 

•  public procurement, with several SADC EPA States applying extensive local content 
and local ownership requirements in public tenders as well as in private contracts 
with State Owned Enterprises; 
import restrictions for agricultural commodities which are widespread in the region, 
with variable economic impact for EU exports;  
regulations on composition, production and labelling of wine and spirit products as well 
as definitions for Cognac and Brandy de Jerez in South Africa;  
imposition of safeguard duties on imports of hot-rolled steel products which may extend 
to stainless steel in South Africa; 

• 

• 

•  bans on exports of scrap metal applied by South Africa and Botswana; 
•  Conformity Assessment programme, put in place in November 2023 by Mozambique, 
with  should  become  applicable  to  indicatively  8.000  products,  and  at  the  moment 
applies – in a discriminatory way - only to imported goods; 

•  Restrictions for shipping lines from being their own cargo and ship agents introduced 

in 2024 by Mozambique.  

117 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/i40na1ze/published-8-eu-south-africa-joint-declaration.pdf  

140 

 
 
 
The Special Committee for Customs and Trade Facilitation (SCCTF) took place ahead of 
the  TDC  Committee  and  discussed  recent  developments  on  customs  legislation,  customs 
reforms, and procedures; it also addressed issues on Rules of Origin, in particular the update of 
Annex II and Annex II(a) of Protocol I to the 2022 version of the WCO Harmonized System, 
the state of play of the implementation of diagonal cumulation by SADC EPA States and the 
interest to discuss the possibility to use self-certification as only proof of origin within the EPA, 
as a customs and trade facilitation measure.  

The Agricultural  Partnership  discussed operational  rules and areas of cooperation and the 
recent developments in the agricultural policies. Thus far, no other substantive issues have been 
discussed in the framework of this Partnership. 

The EU and South Africa in their bilateral Special Committee on Geographical Indications 
(GI) and trade in wines and spirits discussed updates in their respective GI legislations and 
on the protection of specific GIs (e.g. Greek Feta, Karoo Lamb, Cognac/Brandy de Jerez), and 
also  followed  up  on  their  longstanding  discussion  on  authorised  oenological  practices  and 
protection of EU “traditional terms”. 

2.2 

Trade and sustainable development  

The  EU-SADC  EPA  includes  a  chapter  on  cooperation  on  Trade  and  Sustainable 
Development.  

At  the  meeting  of  the  Trade  and  Development  Committee  (TDC)  of  February  2024 
discussions  focussed  on  trade  and  environment  as  a-well  as  climate  change  related  issues. 
SADC  EPA  States  also  reiterated  their  concerns  about  the  impact  that  EU  legislation 
promoting the Green Deal and related initiatives could have on their exports to the EU. South 
Africa’s  steel  industry  is  expected  to  be  impacted  by  the  EU’s  Carbon  Border  Adjustment 
Mechanism (CBAM), while Mozambique expects an impact on its leading sector exporting to 
the EU, aluminium.  

Apart  from  the  EU-SADC  EPA,  the  Samoa  Agreement  (which  replaced  the  Cotonou 
Agreement  as  the  framework  for  the  EU  relationship  with  ACP  countries)  includes  robust 
commitments  on  trade  and  sustainable  development,  also  creating  a  basis  for  further 
collaboration on these issues.  

2.3 

Technical assistance and cooperation  

In  the  course  of  2024,  the  EU  continued  engaging  with  the  SADC  EPA  States,  offering 
technical assistance to help improve the implementation of the EU-SADC EPA. Support is 
oriented  towards  the  resolution  of  issues  in  the  interest  of  the  EU  side  and  the  better 
implementation of the EPA in favour of SADC EPA States and includes the following: 

-  EPA implementation support programmes worth EUR 6 million each in Botswana, 
Namibia, Eswatini, Lesotho and Mozambique; and EUR 10 million in South Africa. In 

141 

 
 
 
 
 
 
the latter country, this support programme aims to unlock challenges related to quality 
infrastructure  and  technical  capacity  in  agricultural  value  chains  and  to  increase 
response to opportunities under the EPA by emerging exporters of agricultural products 
and those with recognised GIs.   

-  The Trade Facilitation Programme, a EUR 15 million regional programme, aims to 
increase  intra-regional  trade  by  strengthening  capacities  for  streamlining  border 
processes and monitoring and resolving non-tariff barriers and technical barriers to trade 
(TBT) and by promoting the implementation of the EU-SADC EPA.   

142 

 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (EPA) BETWEEN THE EU AND CÔTE 
D’IVOIRE 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

Pending  an  Economic  Partnership  Agreement  (EPA)  with  the  West  African  region,  Côte 
d’Ivoire concluded a stepping stone or interim EPA (iEPA) with the EU in December 2007.118 
The  iEPA  was  signed  on  26  November  2008  and  entered  into  provisional  application  on  3 
September 2016. The EU-Côte d’Ivoire iEPA will be replaced by the regional EU-West Africa 
EPA once the latter enters into force.119 15 out of 16 West African countries have signed the 
regional EPA, with only Nigeria’s signature still outstanding.  

The  iEPA  immediately  offered  to  Côte  d’Ivoire  duty  free  and  quota  free  access  to  the  EU 
market, whereas Côte d'Ivoire only partially liberalises EU imports, over a 10 year period. Côte 
d'Ivoire is  the  first country in West Africa that started liberalising its market for trade 
with the EU and applies reciprocity to the market access enjoyed in the EU. The liberalisation 
of  the  first  1115  products  was  applied  from  1  January  2019.  The  second  round  of  tariff 
liberalisation took effect on 1 January 2021, covering another 1190 products, while the third 
round on 1 January 2024 liberalised 1080 additional products. The liberalisation process of 88% 
of tariff lines will be completed by 1 January 2029. Côte d’Ivoire’s HS2017 updated market 
access offer and schedule are published on DG TRADE’s website. Both Parties are currently 
working on the consolidated market access offer transposed to HS2022.120  

In 2024, EU companies continued to benefit from the first three rounds of tariff liberalisation 
for products with significant EU exports. The first two tariff cuts covered medicines (mixed 
or unmixed products for therapeutic or prophylactic purposes), light oils and preparations of 
petroleum  or  bituminous  minerals  with  specific  characteristics,  fertilisers,  category  of 
aeroplanes and other powered aircraft, vaccines (human and veterinary medicine), road tractors 
for semi-trailers, printed books, laboratory reagents. The third tariff cut implemented in the 
course  of  2024,  covered  mainly  machinery,  electronics  and  electrical  equipment,  optical, 
photographic,  cinematographic,  measuring,  checking,  precision,  medical  or  surgical 
instruments and apparatus, plastic and rubber products. 

118 The official name of the agreement ("stepping-stone agreement") reflects the fact that the initial and ultimate 
objective for economic partnership in West Africa is a comprehensive, regional agreement. It is also called 
"interim EPA".  
119 The Economic Partnership Agreement was signed in December 2014 by the European Union and 13 West 
African Countries. In 2018, the Gambia and Mauretania signed the Agreement, to date only Nigeria is yet to sign 
the EPA. The Agreement will enter into provisional application when all the 16 West African Countries sign it 
and 2/3 (11 out of 16) of these countries ratify it.  
120 https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/09242a36-a438-40fd-a7af-fe32e36cbd0e/library/d0c1c2fc-efe7-4dfb-8101-
70af86417152/details  

143 

 
 
 
 
 
 
The  7th  iEPA  Committee  meeting  took  place  on  27  and  28  February  2025  in  Brussels.121 
Senior Officials from both Parties convened to assess the iEPA’s implementation and explore 
opportunities to enhance trade and investment relations. Key outcomes of the iEPA Committee 
meeting included the following:  

•  Côte d’Ivoire reaffirmed the effective implementation of the 3rd tariff cut since 2024 

and is preparing for the 4th tariff cut, scheduled for 1 January 2026.  

•  The Committee adopted the 3rd Joint Monitoring Report on iEPA implementation for 

2020-2022.  

•  Côte  d’Ivoire  reaffirmed  its  commitment  to  pursuing  a  Sustainable  Investment 
Facilitation Agreement (SIFA). Following these discussions, on 6 March 2025, the 
two sides agreed to start their respective internal procedures to open formal negotiations 
for  a  SIFA.  Both  Parties  welcomed  the  excellent  cooperation  under  the  Sustainable 
Cocoa Initiative. In addition, further iEPA implementation issues and support measures 
were discussed.  

• 

It was agreed to hold the next iEPA Committee meeting in Abidjan in 2026.  

The iEPA Committee meeting was preceded by the 3rd Special Committee on Customs and 
Trade  Facilitation  on  25  February  2025,  which  addressed  the  following  aspects:  Rules  of 
Procedure  of  the  Special  Committee,  customs  cooperation  matters,  the  application  of  iEPA 
Rules of Origin, mutual administrative assistance in customs matters, and an information point 
on the reform of the WCO Harmonized System.   

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 

2.1  Market access: Progress and outstanding issues  

Some outstanding trade barriers continue to exist between the EU and Côte d’Ivoire, such as 
tax discrimination on imported spirits: 

•  For  several  years,  Côte  d'Ivoire  has  maintained  discriminatory  taxation  on  imported 
spirits, which are subject to a supplementary  excise tax of 25% on top of the one already 
applied on locally manufactured spirits.  

•  The  EU  considers  this  regime  discriminatory  and  has  raised  the  topic  several  times 
within the WTO’s Agriculture committee (in November 2020, in March 2022 and in 
June  2023),  asking  for  justifications,  which  Côte  d’Ivoire  has  yet  to  provide.  The 
question has also been raised in the three most recent iEPA Committees. 

121 https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/09242a36-a438-40fd-a7af-fe32e36cbd0e/library/5714c6b1-a7b9-42c7-
a73a-f5e5e5fa159a/details  

144 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.2  

 Trade and sustainable development  

The  interim  iEPA  with  Côte  d’Ivoire  does  not  include  a  dedicated  chapter  on  TSD. 
Nevertheless, sustainability issues were also part of the recent iEPA Commitees, including the 
meeting in 2025 which included a dedicated session on sustainable cocoa and exchanges on 
policy developments related to the Green Deal measures, as well as civil society involvement 
in monitoring the iEPA implementation. A specific sustainability section has been included in 
the 3rd Joint Monitoring Report. 

The Samoa Agreement that replaced the Cotonou Agreement as the framework for the EU 
relationship  with  ACP  countries  includes  robust  commitments  on  TSD,  which  also  create  a 
basis for further collaboration on these issues between the EU and Côte d’Ivoire.  

The Sustainable Cocoa Initiative 

In 2024, the EU and Côte d’Ivoire continued their work on the implementation of the Roadmap 
for Sustainable Cocoa adopted by stakeholders in 2022.  

In this context, the World Cocoa Conference on 22 April 2024 in Brussels took stock of progress 
made with the implementation of the Roadmap. The 2024 edition of the Cocoa Talks on 12 and 
13 December 2024 reviewed the collective progress made in achieving the objectives of the 
Roadmap  and  considered  next  steps  and  new  commitments  of  various  stakeholders  of  the 
Sustainable Cocoa Initiative. 

In  2024  the  joint  priority  of  the  parties  was  to  continue  to  support  activities  by  the  four 
implementing partners of the Sustainable Cocoa Programme (i.e. the German GIZ122, the UN 
Food  and  Agriculture  Organisation  (FAO)123,  the  European  Forest  Institute  (EFI)124  and the 
European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), managed by Brussels. The request for 
support by the Conseil Café’ Cacao (CCC, Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa and coffee regulatory board) 
is  well  targeted  and  focusses  on  traceability,  which  the  sector  will  need  considering  EU 
legislation on sustainability (i.e. the Deforestation-free products Regulation125 and the incoming 
EU Corporate Sustainable Due Diligence Directive126). Among other activities, the EU assisted 
the CCC with putting in place a national traceability system for cocoa beans, the availability of 
robust reference data for the management of deforestation risk (including the production of a 
national reference land-use map for 2020) and capacity-building for cooperatives.  

2.2 Technical assistance and cooperation  

The EU budget for 2021-2027 together with EU Member States' resources, continues to support 
Côte  d'Ivoire  in  implementing  the  iEPA,  notably  through  Team  Europe  Initiatives,  mainly 

122 Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit: https://www.giz.de/en/html/index.html  
123 https://www.fao.org/home/en 
124 https://efi.int/about 
125 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32023R1115  
126 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52022PC0071  

145 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
through a package of EUR 450 million (with EUR 113 million coming from the EU budget) to 
finance programmes in Côte d’Ivoire. The projects target the sustainability of the cocoa sector 
and other agricultural value chains, with a main component being the fight against deforestation 
and the preservation of biodiversity.  

EU projects managed by the EU Delegation in Côte d'Ivoire, in close liaison with business 
stakeholders,  continue  to  make  an  important  contribution  towards  improving  business 
climate and addressing key impediments in important sectors of the economy (hence advancing 
the implementation and effectiveness of the iEPA): 

•  PAPE  (Programme  d’appui  à  l’APE)  is  a  direct  institutional  support  to  EPA 
implementation and aims to facilitate the transition from a customs-based taxation system 
towards one based on domestic taxation, support the establishment of the National iEPA 
Commission  and  communicate  on  iEPA  implementation.  For  this  purpose,  during  2023, 
PAPE has trained Tax Authority Agents in efficient tax exemption practices and conducted 
an assessment on the socio-economic impact of tax and customs exemptions. In addition, 
PAPE  has  reached  out  to  several  private  business  and  the  public  administration  in  Côte 
d'Ivoire to by raising awareness on the iEPA and by offering trainings how to unlock the 
benefits.   

•  The regional PACIR  II (Programme d’appui  au Commerce et  à l’Intégration régionale) 
supports private sector development in 2024 supported trainings to businesses on improved 
production  and  business  administration  practices,  awareness  raising  among  informal 
businesses on the benefits of joining the formal sector and trainings for private and public 
sector stakeholders on the new national labelling policy for cassava flour (attiéké). PASIR 
II ended in August 2024. 

146 

 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (EPA) BETWEEN THE EU AND 
CAMEROON 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

On 15 January 2009, Cameroon and the EU signed a stepping-stone Economic Partnership 
Agreement (EPA) or interim EPA (iEPA). The European Parliament approved this agreement 
on 13 June 2013 and the Parliament of Cameroon ratified it on 22 July 2014. On 4 August 2014, 
the agreement entered into provisional application. Being a regional agreement, the EPA is open 
to the accession of other Central African countries.  

The iEPA immediately provides Cameroon with duty-free quota-free access to the EU market 
for  all  products  originating  from  Cameroon.  This  benefits,  among  others,  exports  of 
Cameroonian  bananas,  aluminium,  processed  cocoa  products,  plywood  and  other  fresh  and 
transformed agricultural products.  

Cameroon is opening its market to EU imports gradually, over transitioning periods. Cameroon 
will  progressively  reduce  its  tariffs  on  80%  of  EU  imports  to  reach  0%  by  2029.  This 
targeted  elimination  of  import  tariffs  will  help  Cameroon’s  local  producers  to  develop  their 
production and become more competitive, and indirectly, will benefit local consumers.  

To ensure the protection of certain sensitive agricultural markets and industries, but also to 
maintain  fiscal  revenues,  the  iEPA  allows  Cameroon  to  maintain  tariffs  on  20%  of  goods 
originating from the EU (such as meat, wines and spirits, malt, milk products, flour, fruit and 
vegetables, wood and wood products, used clothes and textiles, paintings, and used tyres). 

The first joint monitoring report of the iEPA, covering the years 2014-2019, was adopted in 
2021 and is publicly available.127 The second report, covering the years 2022-2023 is currently 
being finalised.  

Further progress was made in 2024 by Cameroon on its tariff schedules under the iEPA, with 
tariff dismantling on track.128 It started in August 2016 for products listed in group 1 (1727 
tariff lines), in 2017 for group 2 (985 tariff lines), and in 2021 for group 3. The two first groups 
mainly  consist  of  essential  items  that  are  often  used  as  inputs  for  industrial  processes  in 
Cameroon or consumer products that are not found on the local market, such as medicines and 
medical  equipment,  industrial  and  agricultural  inputs,  machines,  chemicals,  spare  parts  for 
vehicles, computers, and paper. The third group includes a number of products, such as cars, 
on  which  Cameroon  and  the  Central  African  region  have  traditionally  charged  the  highest 
duties.  

As of August 2024, import duties for all products of group 1 and 2 are now fully removed and 
tariffs on products of group 3 are reduced by 50%. The Market Access Offer has been updated 
to  reflect  the  latest  international  customs  nomenclature  HS2022  and  is  available  on  DG 
TRADE’s  website.129  Cameroon  and  the  EU  are  actively  monitoring  the  effects  of  the 
agreement.  

127 https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/09242a36-a438-40fd-a7af-fe32e36cbd0e/library/f27fa117-7fdd-46ad-bb54-
79b621d899c6/details  
128 Following a temporary unilateral suspension of EPA dismantlement by Cameroon in the wake of COVID-19 
outbreak in 2020, the process returned to its initial schedule with a tariff cut in January 2021 and August 2021.  
129 https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/09242a36-a438-40fd-a7af-fe32e36cbd0e/library/31a1603d-10ee-4c44-
85e8-50c6d166e848/details  

147 

 
 
 
 
2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES  

2.1   Market access: Progress and outstanding issues  

The 8th EPA Committee was held on 24-25 July 2024 in Brussels. 130 During that meeting, the 
parties discussed a number of market access issues. Procedural progress was achieved in regard 
to excise duties and import taxes affecting EU exports since 2020.  The protocol on rules of 
origin remains to be signed by Cameroon. Constructive engagement continued on a number of 
other issues, including the rendezvous clause for services, trade and sustainable development 
and preparations for the 14th WTO ministerial meeting.  

•  Specific fiscal measures (excise duties as well as a range of new export taxes) adopted 
by Cameroon on imported products, since 2020, in contradiction to EPA commitments, 
continue to affect bilateral trade and are imposed every year on an increasing number 
of products. The EU side called on the Cameroonian side to repeal these measures as 
rapidly as possible. The two parties agreed to continue technical discussions to identify 
tariff lines that could be excluded from the imposition of these measures. Both sides 
also agreed to reinforce their administrative cooperation on customs issues and to set up 
a subcommittee to deal with these questions.  

•  Regarding the protocol on rules of origin the Cameroonian side was not able to sign 
the text for reasons of internal preparation but intends to do so as soon as possible.  

•  The Committee exchanged views on the issues covered by the rendezvous clauses in 
the iEPA (e.g., trade in services and sustainable development). The EU side stressed its 
intention not to reopen the provisions of the agreement. However, it acknowledged the 
legitimacy of Cameroon to be informed about negotiations the EU is leading on these 
topics with other third countries. The EU side thus agreed to share with Cameroon its 
negotiating proposals used in other negotiations.  

•  The  two  parties  agreed  to  focus  the  work  of  the  subcommittee  on  agricultural  and 

rural development on health and phytosanitary issues. 

Finally, regarding the organization of the 14th WTO Ministerial Meeting and support for the 
reform of the WTO multilateral trade system the Cameroonian side noted its availability in the 
organization of the next WTO ministerial conference scheduled for early 2026 and wished to 
obtain more practical information on what was expected from its government. On substance, 
Cameroon expressed its intention to work towards the rapprochement of positions between all 
the actors of the organization. 

2.2   Trade and sustainable development  

The EPA with Cameroon does not currently include a dedicated chapter on trade and sustainable 
development.  

The  Parties  continue  to  cooperate  on  matters  related  to  trade  and  sustainable  development 
through different channels. 131  

130 https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/09242a36-a438-40fd-a7af-fe32e36cbd0e/library/53b015da-ac93-42f2-
9d1f-6f6f81d44389/details  
131 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52003DC0251  

148 

 
 
 
 
 
The Samoa Agreement that replaced the Cotonou Agreement as the framework for the EU 
relationship  with  ACP  countries  includes  robust  commitments  on  trade  and  sustainable 
development, also creating a basis for further collaboration on these issues.  

During the 8th EPA Committee, the issue of trade and sustainable development was addressed 
from  the  perspective  of  three  issues:  timber  trade,  technical  barriers  to  trade  and  European 
regulations to combat deforestation. On all these issues, the Cameroonian side wished to obtain 
more  information,  in  particular  on  the  scope  of  the  recent  measures  adopted  by  the  EU  to 
support the Green Deal. 

The Sustainable Cocoa Initiative 
The EU and Cameroon are also engaged in a dialogue on sustainable cocoa.132  

Cameroon joined the Sustainable Cocoa Initiative in 2021 (initially as an observer, now as a 
full member).   

In 2024 the EU and Cameroon continued their dialogue on sustainability of the cocoa supply 
chain and worked on the implementation of the Roadmap on Sustainable Cocoa adopted 
by stakeholders in 2022.  

On  22  April  2024,  the  World  Cocoa  Conference  took  stock  of  progress  made  with  the 
implementation  of  the  Roadmap.133  The  2024  edition  of  the  Cocoa  Talks  on  12  and  13 
December  2024  reviewed  the  collective  progress  made  in  achieving  the  objectives  of  the 
Roadmap and considered the follow-up and new commitments of various stakeholders of the 
Sustainable Cocoa Initiative. 

Further  work  is  ongoing  to  ensure  Cameroon’s  preparedness  in  the  wake  of  the  EU  anti-
deforestation requirements, including in the context of the 12 action points on cocoa and in the 
framework of the Sustainable Cocoa Initiative.  

In 2024 the joint priority of the parties was to continue support activities in Cameroon by the 
four implementing partners of the Sustainable Cocoa Programme (i.e. the German GIZ134, 
the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)135, the European Forest Institute (EFI)136 and 
the  European  Commission’s  Joint  Research  Centre  (JRC).  Technical  assistance  focused  on 
traceability, to help the Cameroonian cocoa sector to prepare for and meet the requirements of 
EU regulation adopted in the context of the Green Deal (e.g. the Deforestation-free Products 
Regulation137, and the incoming EU Corporate Sustainable Due Diligence Directive138).  

2.3   Technical assistance and cooperation  

The EU budget for 2021-2027 together with EU Member States' resources, continues to support 
Cameroon in implementing the iEPA.  

132 With 6% of the global cocoa market, Cameroon is currently the 4th most important cocoa producer in the 
world and cocoa represents 12% to the country’s overall exports. 
133 For more background information on the Sustainable Cocoa Initiative please see the dedicated box under the 
EU-Ghana EPA section. 
134 Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit: https://www.giz.de/en/html/index.html  
135 https://www.fao.org/home/en 
136 https://efi.int/about 
137 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32023R1115  
138 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52022PC0071  

149 

 
 
 
 
 
 
At  the  8th  EPA  Committee,  the  Cameroonian  side  noted  the  lack  of  direct  funding  for  the 
implementation of the iEPA, despite the references included in the agreement (Articles 7 and 
9). The European side referred to multiple actions de facto contributing to the implementation 
of the iEPA. A regional 'market access' project is in the start-up phase and will be available to 
meet some of the specific needs of Cameroon related to the implementation of the agreement.   

150 

 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (EPA) BETWEEN THE EU AND THE 
EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICAN REGION (ESA) 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

Pending a comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the full Eastern and 
Southern African (ESA) region, an interim EPA (iEPA) was signed in 2009 by the EU and 
four  ESA  countries  (Madagascar,  Mauritius,  Seychelles  and  Zimbabwe).  This  iEPA  is 
provisionally  applied  since  14  May  2012  by  the  EU  and  these  four  EPA  partners,  while 
Comoros  applies  it  since  February  2019.  These  five  countries  are  referred  to  as  “ESA5”. 
Comoros, Zimbabwe and Seychelles have also ratified the iEPA, Zambia has initialled the iEPA 
and  may  decide  to  sign  it  soon.  The  iEPA  remains  open  to  other  ESA  countries.  It  offers 
immediate duty-free and quota-free access to the EU market to ESA signatory countries, while 
providing for a gradual opening of ESA markets to EU imports, which is done gradually over 
several transition periods. 

Negotiations on a modernised and comprehensive EPA progressed in 2024 and will continue 
in 2025.139 Since the beginning of this process,  15 negotiating rounds took place. The last 
round took place in March 2025140. 10 thematic parts have been provisionally concluded and a 
workplan has been agreed that may pave the way towards endorsement of this agreement at 
political level. Once in place, the deepened EPA will include the following: modernised rules 
of origin; provisions on customs and trade facilitation; sanitary and phytosanitary measures; 
technical  barriers  to  trade;  trade  in  services,  investment  liberalisation  and  digital  trade; 
transparency in public procurement; intellectual property rights; trade and competition; trade 
and  sustainable  development;  partnership  in  agriculture;  fisheries  and  aquaculture;  dispute 
avoidance and settlement; institutional structure; and economic and development cooperation.  

A sustainability impact assessment141  looking into the impact  of the  modernised EPA  has 
been conducted in parallel to the negotiations, supported by public consultations.  

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES  

2.1 Market access: Progress and outstanding issues  

The iEPA offers duty-free, quota-free access for all imports from the ESA EPA States to the 
EU since 1 January 2008. The five ESA EPA States are in the process of opening their markets 
to EU imports in line with individual tariff schedules.142  

139 In 2017, the then-four ESA partners (ESA4) implementing the Agreement requested to deepen it beyond trade 
in goods, in accordance with the ‘rendezvous clause’ embedded in the Agreement. In May 2019, the EU and 
ESA5 Countries (Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe and Comoros) agreed on a joint scoping paper 
that paved the way for the official launch of the negotiations in October 2019. 
140 Report of the 15th negotiating round: Circabc 
141 https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/analysis-and-assessment/sustainability-impact-assessments_en  
142 The ESA countries were not in a position to table a common regional market access offer and each country 
presented an individual offer based on its specificities. 

151 

 
 
 
 
 
 
The implementation of tariff dismantling schedules, initially foreseen to start in 2012 (for 
ESA4), was completed by Seychelles, Mauritius and Zimbabwe on 1 January 2022 and by 
Madagascar on 1 January 2023, when the percentage of tariff lines fully liberalised for products 
originating in the EU reached 97.5% in Seychelles, 96.2% in Mauritius, 87% in Zimbabwe and 
86% for Madagascar. The implementation of tariff commitments encountered some difficulties 
in Comoros. The country needed two additional years (2024 instead of 2022) as it joined this 
agreement much later (in 2019) than the other four ESA partners.143 A catch-up scenario was 
agreed  based  on  which  Comoros  should  have  completed  its  market  access  liberalisation 
schedule in the course of 2024, i.e., to reach the target of liberalising around 80% of their trade 
with the EU. However, Comoros has not yet completed the process due to budgetary issues. 
The EU and Comoros are currently exploring a constructive solution to address the delay on 
the dismantling schedule.   

The parties continue to develop a common methodology aimed at finalising a monitoring 
and  evaluation  framework  for  the  iEPA  and  consulted  stakeholders  from  the  public  and 
private  sector.  This  is  an  important  step  to  define  a  joint  understanding  of  progress  made 
implementing the iEPA and to identify remaining challenges in order to be able to address them 
adequately.  The  common  methodology  has  not  yet  been  agreed  as  outstanding  issues  are 
currently being discussed in the framework of the negotiations for the deepening of the iEPA.  

Dialogue with partner countries and EU development cooperation assistance are key elements 
to support the implementation of the EPA. 

In 2024, the EU Delegations in the region maintained a close dialogue with government and 
private sector on economic matters, including on trade policy:  

·  At  ESA5  level,  a  Market  Access  Team  meeting,  comprising  EU  Member  States 
representatives and EU Business associations, was organised by the EU Delegation in 
Mauritius to exchange information on trade policy and enquire on trade barriers.  

· 

· 

· 

· 

In Comoros, the EU Delegation contributed substantially to strengthening the public- 
private dialogue, by organising a workshop on  budget  law and public procurement.  
Dialogue  continued  with  the  Ministry  for  Economy  and  the  Ministry  for  Finances, 
especially on the tariff dismantling schedule. On the margins of the 13th negotiating 
round in Comoros in March 2024, civil society was consulted on the EPA.   

In Madagascar, the EU Delegation continued its close dialogue with both the private 
sector  and  the  public  authorities,  in  the  framework  of  the  CLIM-INVEST, 
INCUBOOST and PADEIR cooperation programmes, with a focus on optimising the 
public-private dialogue, the role of digitalisation in the strengthening of the business 
environment and increasing competitiveness of enterprises.  

In Mauritius, discussions on the organization of a Business Forum with the government 
and the private sector were initiated. The change of government towards the end of 2024 
was also an opportunity to renew discussions and redefine priorities. 

In Seychelles, digitalization of customs and tax systems were opportunities to engage 
with the operators, including related agencies.  

143 More details can be found here: http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2012/march/tradoc_149213.pdf  

152 

 
 
 
  
 
 
 
· 

In Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair 2024 offered an opportunity to 
promote various TeamEurope funded projects ongoing in Zimbabwe and to highlight 
the  benefits  and  opportunities  offered  by  the  iEPA.  An  EU  business  mapping  was 
conducted  and  discussions  on  the  organisation  of  an  EU-Zimbabwe  Business  Forum 
with the government and private sector took place in May 2025.   

2.2 

Trade and sustainable development  

The iEPA does not include a dedicated chapter on trade and sustainable development. However, 
during  the  ongoing  negotiations  to  deepen  the  Agreement,  the  Parties  are  committed  to  an 
ambitious Trade and Sustainable Development chapter, in line with EU trade policy. 

The Samoa Agreement that replaced the Cotonou Agreement as the framework for the EU 
relationship  with  ACP  countries  includes  robust  commitments  on  trade  and  sustainable 
development. They also create a basis for further collaboration on these issues.  

2.3   Technical assistance and cooperation 

In  2024  several  EU  development  cooperation  programmes  linked  to  the  iEPA  were 
implemented  with  the  aim  to  facilitate  tax  and  customs  reforms,  improve  the  business 
environment and strengthen ESA States’ competitiveness. Examples include the following: 

•  The Fit For Market+ (FFM+) programme provides support to the horticultural sector 
in  ACP  countries,  including  the  ESA5.  It  aims  to  maintain  and  improve  access  to 
domestic,  regional  and  international  markets  and  enhances  support  capacities  of 
competent authorities. 

•  As part of an EU funded regional Indian Ocean Commission project, SMEs in the 
four member states of the Indian Ocean Commission benefitted from training in various 
fields  related  to  entrepreneurial,  participation  in  international  fairs  for  tourism, 
cosmetics and seafood. The overall aim was to boost their competitiveness and improve 
market access. 

•  Through the regional programme for food and nutrition security (SANOI), capacity 
building assistance was provided in 2024 to food safety control laboratories in the four 
island States of the Indian Ocean Region, including through support for accreditation 
and the development of surveillance plans. SPS action plans in the maize and poultry 
sectors  were  developed  and  training  was  provided  on  various  subjects,  such  as 
phytosanitary controls on fruit and vegetables. 

•  The 11th European Development Fund (2014-2020), whose related projects are still 
ongoing in  some ESA States, earmarked  EUR  10 million for each of the four initial 
signatory countries and EUR 6 million for Comoros to help them implement the iEPA. 
•  The APILE project144 in Comoros aims at improving private sector competitiveness, 
strengthening the business environment and structuring the public-private dialogue. 70 
enterprises were trained on industrial processes, sanitary measures, trade, marketing and 
financial issues. 13 Business support organisations were capacitated and united under a 
new business incubator association. Quality trainers on sanitary and ISO standards were 
trained  and  a  country  branding  label  “Made  in  Comoros”  was  designed.  The  PAGF 

144 APILE Project - Support to Industrialisation and Free Trade 

153 

 
 
 
 
 
project145 aims at enlarging the fiscal basis to compensate for customs revenues loss due 
to Comoros Tariff liberalisation in the context of the iEPA.  

•  Technical  assistance  to  Mauritius  to  implement  a  Geographical  Indications  (GIs) 
framework  as  well  as  technical  support  and  capacity  building  to  the  Mauritius 
Intellectual  Property  Office  and  private  sector  associations  led  to  the  first  Mauritian 
Geographical Indication registered: “Mauritius Unrefined Sugar”. Support is ongoing 
for the registration of further GIs. Evaluation of the EPA programme has resulted in a 
recommendation  to  adapt  the  regulatory  framework  to  improve  the  business 
environment. 

•  The PADEIR programme in Madagascar,146 supports public authorities in trade-related 
initiatives, particularly by establishing a reference framework for trade facilitation and 
regional integration. Key actions in 2024 included the preparation of the national Trade 
Policy Review, presented to the WTO in February 2025, the ongoing validation of the 
National Export Strategy, and the implementation activities of the EPA. To address non-
tariff  barriers,  PADEIR  also  supports  quality  infrastructure  for  ensuring  the 
accreditation of export products. Another key focus of the programme is enhancing the 
competitiveness and skills of SMEs in export-oriented value chains across four priority 
sectors (textiles, tourism, e-commerce and agri-business). 

• 

• 

In  the  Seychelles,  digitalization  of  the  Customs  and  Tax  systems  continued  and  the 
online  payment  facility  for  customs  services,  as  part  of  the  ASYCUDA  system  was 
launched.  Specific  support  to  identify  aquaculture  products  of  high  potential  and 
develop proofs of concepts and model business plans was provided, also with a view to 
encourage private sector investment. Support to local entrepreneurs was given through 
capacity building.  

In  Zimbabwe,  the  EU  funded  an  electronic  tariff  platform  developed  by  the  World 
Customs  Organization,  under  the  framework  of  the  EU-WCO  Programme  for  the 
Harmonized  System  in  Africa  (HS-Africa  Programme).  Under  regional  trade 
facilitation  programmes,  the  Chirundu  Border  post  was  upgraded  with  a  biometric 
electronic boom gate, solar powered flood lights, CCTV cameras and a Trader’s Market. 

145 PAGF Project - Support Programme for Finances Management 
146 PADEIR Project - Support Programme for Development of Exports and Regional Integration 

154 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (EPA) BETWEEN THE EU AND 
CARIFORUM 

1. 

THE AGREEMENT 

The  Economic  Partnership  Agreement  (EPA)  between  the  EU  and  CARIFORUM  (“the 
Agreement”) is a regional trade and development Agreement between the EU and its Member 
States and 15 Caribbean countries. It entered into provisional application on 29 December 2008. 
By the end of 2024, the Agreement was provisionally applied by the EU and its Member States 
and by 14 Caribbean States147, while 26 EU Member States and 10 Caribbean States had ratified 
the EPA.148 

The Agreement includes provisions on trade in goods, trade in services, competition, innovation 
and intellectual property rights, government procurement and a development component with 
the EU committing to fostering regional integration and long-term sustainable economic growth 
in the Caribbean.149 The EPA also has a rich institutional structure and a number of specialized 
committees,  namely  on  Agriculture  and  Fisheries,  on  Customs  and  Trade  facilitation,  and  a 
Services Committee (set up officially in April 2024). 

In general, the EPA has an asymmetric character. While the EU immediately offers duty-free 
and quota-free access to its market, the CARIFORUM partners have up to 25 years (until 2033) 
to complete import tariff cuts. They have excluded from these cuts around 17% of goods and 
services, which they consider sensitive.150 The list includes fresh fruits and vegetables, most 
alcoholic beverages, some garments, a number of processed agricultural products, fish, meat, 
chemicals  and  furniture.  On  the  Cariforum  side  overall,  only  25%  of  CARIFORUM's 
agricultural and fisheries products have been covered by liberalisation under the EPA.    

In  2024,  CARIFORUM  partners  further  progressed  towards  the  implementation  of  their 
market access schedules for goods. Currently six CARIFORUM States151 report complete and 
timely implementation of tariff liberalisation under EPA, according to their schedules.  

In  2024,  the  EU  and  CARIFORUM  were  engaged  in  the  second  five  years’  Joint  Review 
process of the EPA that was completed at technical level in April 2024. The Review report 
produced by the Joint Review Task Force identified some implementation challenges and will 
provide input for the conclusions and recommendations on the impact and future functioning 
of the EPA for consideration by the next Joint Council.   

The Dominican Republic is the largest economy in the Caribbean and the main destination of 
EU exports in the region. It is the second most important partner among CARIFORUM states, 
considering total merchandise trade following the recent boost of oil exports from Guyana to 

147 Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, 
Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. 
Haiti still needs to ratify the Agreement in parliament before applying it, due to domestic legal requirements. 
148  On the Cariforum side, the ratification is pending by the Bahamas, Haiti, Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad 
and Tobago; on the EU side, the agreement has not been ratified by Hungary only. 
149 More information: Access2Markets The EU-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement (europa.eu)  
150 The Cariforum states submitted individual market access schedules and not one single regional offer. Hence 
figures and information provided here are an average over all 14 market access schedules.  
151 The Bahamas, Belize, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica and Saint Lucia. 

155 

 
 
 
 
the  EU.152  The  Dominican  Republic  is  also  the  most  advanced  country  in  terms  of  EPA 
implementation and EPA performance.   

In 2024 the following institutional bodies met: 

-  The 10th Trade and Development Committee took place in Nassau, Bahamas on 24-25 

April 2024; 

-  The 8th Consultative Committee representing civil society took place on 20 March 2025 
in the Bahamas, and the 7th Consultative Committee meeting took place in November 
2023 in Brussels153 focusing strongly on a sustainability and a green dimension; 

-  The  8th  CARIFORUM-EU  Special  Committee  on  Customs  Cooperation  and  Trade 

Facilitation was held on 5 December 2024 in (virtually); 

-  The 5th CARIFORUM-EU Special Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries was held in 

October 2024 (virtually); 

-  The first Services Committee took place in September 2024 (virtually). 

In  addition, 
CARIFORUM-EU Council (Ministers) are scheduled to hold their meetings in 2025.  

the  CARIFORUM-EU  Joint  Parliamentary  Committee  and 

the  Joint 

Besides, in 2024, the Parties gave a new impetus to the ongoing negotiations on the protection 
of geographical indications in line with Article 145 of the EPA and continued discussions in 
the Joint Working Group on Simplification of Rules of Origin. 

For the Dominican Republic, informal bilateral discussions (known as “mesa del comercio” 
or “trade table”) are regularly held with the EU on bilateral trade matters, including EU Green 
Deal legislation and support for its implementation.154  

2.   MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES  

2.1   Market access: Progress and outstanding issues 

The  main  market  access  issues  discussed  with  the  CARIFORUM  Region  under  the  EPA 
include: 

•  Full ratification and timely implementation of tariff cuts by all CARIFORUM States 

and support for the implementation of the regulatory commitments under EPA; 

•  EU efforts to increase transparency and utilization of EPA tariff rates and provide 
technical assistance for the transposition of all market access offers by CARIFORUM 
to the latest Harmonised System (HS) nomenclature (from 2002 to the 2022 HS);  

•  Progress on and monitoring of the effective application of EPA provisions facilitating 

investment and trade services cover by EPA; 

152 The Dominican Republic accounts for 22% EU’s trade with CARIFORUM. Its exports to the EU have more 
than tripled since the start of implementation in 2008 and bilateral trade has augmented 165% as a whole based 
on Eurostat data. Bilateral trade in 2024 reached to EUR 4,4 billion. 
153 Cariforum-EU Consultative Committee | EESC 
154 Recent EU legislation such as the Regulation on Deforestation-free products directly affect Dominican 
Republic’s traditional agricultural exports such as organic products, cocoa and coffee. 

156 

 
 
 
 
 
 
•  ongoing efforts to create the annual Joint Monitoring Mechanism as mandated by the 
EPA –  with a first  pilot report to  be  complied before the next  Joint Council in  2025 
based on the jointly collected data; 

• 

finalizing negotiations on Geographical Indications (GIs);  

•  review of the Rules of the Origin;  

• 

increasing awareness and capacity in the area of TBT and SPS; 

•  continuous  support  to  Intellectual  Property  Rights  (IPR)  enforcement  and  capacity 

based on cooperation tools. 

The Commission engages with Jamaica and Dominican Republic to address specific trade 
concerns.  

Jamaica  refuses  to  accept  invoice  declarations  made  out  by  EU  approved  exporters,  thus 
limiting the choice of proof of origin granted by the EPA to EU exporters. 

Dominican  Republic  applies  a  discriminatory  VAT  tax  (ITBIS)  on  some  imported  food 
products (notably cheese, ham and canned vegetables). These issues were raised by the EU side 
in the relevant WTO Committees, most recently at the Market Access Committee in 2024.  

On the positive side, in 2024, bilateral engagement through the EU Delegation and Member 
States, as well as other third countries concerned led the Dominican Republic to discontinue its 
discriminatory labelling regime for imported alcoholic beverages155. Under that system, a fiscal 
stamp with a unique code, serial number and special authentication marks were required for 
every final consumption unit (bottle/can) of beer, wine and spirits for sale in the country. The 
practical  implementation  of  this  system  (called  ‘TRAFICO’)  had  put  imported  drinks  at  a 
disadvantage  as  placing  the  stamps  would  have  meant  intensive  and  costly  manipulation 
(unboxing,  unpacking,  unwrapping,  manual  placement  of  the  label  in  every  unit,  repacking, 
etc.) and implied additional costs when compared to local production.    

2.2 

Trade and sustainable development 

The  EU-CARIFORUM  EPA  is  the  first  EU  trade  agreement  with  specific  chapters  on 
sustainable development and social aspects (Chapters IV and V), which generally reaffirm 
the  Parties’  commitment  to  existing  international  conventions  and  agreements  to  conserve, 
protect and improve the natural environment, respect core labour standards, and to prioritise 
sustainable development.  These commitments are further strengthened by a  reference to  the 
Samoa  Agreement  that  replaced  the  Cotonou  Agreement  as  the  framework  for  the  EU 
relationship with ACP countries, which includes robust commitments on trade and sustainable 
development.  

In addition, in 2024, the EU continued to actively support CARIFORUM states in advancing 
their  sustainability  agenda.  Country  Action  Plans  under  the  Euroclima  Programme  have 
identified  actions  in  energy  transition,  water  management,  climate  finance,  environment 
conservation,  etc.,  with  the  starting  of  implementation  of  concrete  actions  at  country  level. 
CARIFORUM countries were also granted assistance under the EU’s regional programmes on 
disaster risk management, circular economy, renewable energy, water, land management and 
biodiversity and climate resilience. A major conference organised in October 2024 in Grenada 

155 A regulation from the Internal Taxes Authority exonerated importers of alcoholic beverages (with the 
exemption of those operating in Free Trade Zones) from TRAFICO implementation. As alternative, they will 
have to provide some guarantees for fiscal collection purposes. 

157 

 
 
 
 
on the proliferation of Sargassum seaweed also advanced efforts to find sustainable uses for the 
algae, in order to transform this issue into an economic opportunity for the region.  

2.3 

Technical assistance and cooperation, promotion activities 

Based on the findings of the last 10-year Evaluation Study156 of the EU-CARIFORUM EPA 
and  the  Review  report,  there  are  still  significant  implementation  gaps  related  to  capacity 
constraints and cooperation needs on the CARIFORUM side that should be further supported 
under  the  EU’s  cooperation  programmes.  The  Commission  is  working  hand  in  hand  with 
CARIFORUM  States  to  address  these  challenges.  Regional  integration  and  support  to 
improve  the  business  climate  remain  important  challenges  and  objectives  for  joint 
implementation work.  

While CARIFORUM States are facing important capacity constraints, progress was achieved 
in 2024, notably on IPR legislative frameworks, capacity to meet SPS requirements and in 
TBT,  especially  on  accreditation  and  certification.  The  EU  development  cooperation  and 
support programmes played a key role in achieving these positive results. 

More  specifically  on  TBT,  the  EU  EPA  support  programme  was  successfully  concluded  in 
August  2024.  The  programme  achieved  substantial  results,  including  on  accreditation  and 
certification: Conformity Assessment Bodies in Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and 
Trinidad & Tobago achieved accreditation under internationally recognised standards, and six 
companies received certification assistance, four of which achieved internationally recognised 
standards.  In  the  area  of  metrology,  three  Caribbean  Reference  Laboratories  (CaRLs)  were 
created to enhance regional metrology services. 

The EU also supported the implementation capacity of CARIFORUM States in relation IPR 
and  GIs  under  the  CARIPI  project  implemented  together  with  the  EUIPO,  which  was 
concluded  in  April  2024.  CARIPI  significantly  contributed  to  enhancing  legal  frameworks, 
institutional capacity and digitalization. It notably conducted over a hundred capacity-building 
activities,  developed  over  150  awareness  materials,  and  supported  the  harmonization  of 
trademarks  (TMs),  geographical  indications  (GIs),  and  legislation  governing  plant  variety 
rights’ (PVRs) throughout the entire CARIFORUM region. 

The EU’s project in support of SPS commitments and processes under the EPA concluded in 
mid-2024. It vastly improved the regulatory environment in several countries. Over 700 public 
and private sector stakeholders were trained. As a result of the programme, over a dozen private 
sector companies met international food safety standards, and six laboratories were upgraded 
for agricultural and fisheries product testing. 

In  2024,  the  Commission  through  EU  Delegations  in  the  region  continued  to  engage  in 
activities  to  raise  awareness,  provide  business  oriented  information  about  the  EPA,  and 
support business-to-business links. EU Delegations, in cooperation with the Caribbean Export 
Development Agency (CEDA), facilitated a series of EPA workshops, with key information on 
the Agreement, on the Rules of Origin, standards and requirements for target markets, as well 
as  market  intelligence  tools  and  data  sources.  In  2024,  these  workshops  were  held  in  the 
Dominican Republic, Barbados and Jamaica.  

The regional EU Delegation in Barbados is also supporting and co-financing the annual edition 
of the Caribbean Investment Forum (CIF)157 that took place in Guyana in 2024. This event is 
gradually becoming one of the major events on business-matching and promotion of foreign 

156 Final report: https://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2021/january/tradoc_159352.pdf 
157 The next event is taking place in Jamaica - Get Ready For CIF 2025 - caribbeaninvestmentforum.com 

158 

 
 
 
 
investments in the CARIFORUM Region. The Delegation also disseminated materials from a 
regional FPI project finalized in 2024, aimed at raising EU business’ awareness on the trade 
and investment opportunities under the CARIFORUM EPA in six key sectors158.   

The EU Delegation  in the Dominican  Republic organised the 7h  edition of the yearly EPA 
Awards  Event  in  December  2024  with  awards  in  six  different  categories  (goods,  services, 
investment, sustainability and circular economy, women in export and fair trade).159  

158 The sectoral reports and brochures are published as well on  DG Trade website under: EU trade relations with 
Caribbean countries 
159 Video summary of the EPA awards event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjeK6d0-9fs 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjeK6d0-9fs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjeK6d0-9fs 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjeK6d0-9fs  

159 

 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL INFORMATION SHEET ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (EPA) BETWEEN THE EU AND 
PACIFIC STATES 

1.  THE AGREEMENT 

The EU is implementing an “interim”160 Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA or iEPA) 
with  Papua  New  Guinea  since  December  2009,  with  Fiji  since  July  2014  (i.e.  the  original 
signatories),  and  with  Samoa  and  Solomon  Islands  since  December  2018  and  May  2020, 
respectively, following their accession to the Agreement. In 2024 accession talks progressed 
to  the  final  phase  with  Niue,  Tonga,  Tuvalu  and  Vanuatu,  while  two  more  talks  continue 
(Federated  States  of  Micronesia,  Timor-Leste).  Originally  the  iEPA  was  supposed  to  be 
replaced by a comprehensive regional EPA with all Pacific States161, however negotiations were 
put on hold in 2016, mainly due to lack of progress and the withdrawal of Papua New Guinea 
from the negotiations. Currently, the preferred way forward is the geographical widening of 
the iEPA and later, increasing its scope. 

The iEPA only covers trade in goods and provides for rules of origin for processed fisheries 
products (mainly tuna), which are not provided for in any other EPA – the so-called “global 
sourcing” provision, which is intended to boost development in the region. This allows -upon 
notification- that fish brought onshore by foreign vessels and further processed in a Pacific EPA 
country can be exported to the EU duty-free and quota-free, regardless of where the fish was 
caught. This significant concession by the EU has boosted investments in  the tuna cooking 
and canning industry, creating tens of thousands of new jobs in Papua New Guinea (since 
2009) and Solomon Islands (since 2020). 

2. 

MAIN IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES  

2.1.   Market access: Progress and outstanding issues 

In 2024, all exports from Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa and Solomon Islands continued to 
enter the EU market duty-free and quota-free on a permanent basis.  

When it comes to tariff liberalisation under the iEPA, taking full account of differences in 
development levels and sensitive sectors, Papua New Guinea has liberalised 88% of imports 
from the EU since 2009, Fiji undertook to liberalise 87% over 15 years, Samoa will liberalise 
80% over 20 years and Solomon Islands will liberalise 83.5% over 18 years. 

The  9th  EU-Pacific  Trade  Committee  under  the  EU-Pacific  iEPA  took  place  from  6-7 
February  2024,  in  Apia,  Samoa,  bringing  together  Senior  Officials  from  Fiji,  Papua  New 

160 The title "interim" has lost much of its meaning, as this EPA is being transformed into a definitive one, with 
more  and  more  countries  in  the  region  choosing  to  accede  to  it  rather  than  seeking  to  continue  the  regional 
negotiations as a block for a "full" EPA with all the 14 countries in the region. 

161 Regional negotiations involved 14 Island States: Fiji, PNG, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu (all 6 
currently WTO members), Cooks Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, 
Palau and Tuvalu (all 8 are neither WTO members nor observers). To note: Timor-Leste is part of the Small 
Pacific Islands group of ACP States, signatory to the Cotonou Agreement, but was not part of the regional EPA 
negotiations as it is not a member of the Pacific Islands Forum with which negotiations were carried out. 

160 

 
 
 
 
 
Guinea,  Samoa,  Solomon  Islands  and  the  EU  (the  Parties  to  the  iEPA).162  Following  their 
notification of intent to accede to the iEPA, six Pacific States (namely Tuvalu, Niue, Tonga, 
Timor-Leste, Vanuatu and the Federated States of Micronesia) were invited to participate in the 
Committee meeting as observers.  

During the iEPA Committee meeting, the Parties reviewed implementation with a focus on the 
following issues:  

•  State of play of the ongoing study on trade in services and investment facilitation; 

•  Recent developments in bilateral trade in agriculture;  

•  Updating the Pacific Regional Kava Development Strategy (endorsed by the Pacific 
ACP Trade Ministers in October 2023), which inter alia seeks to improve the capacity 
to access the EU market and to promote Kava as a geographical indication.  

The  EU  and  the  Pacific  EPA  partners  also  agreed  on  the  mechanism  of  a  Joint  iEPA 
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), which aims inter alia to involve civil society in the M&E 
of  iEPA  implementation,  including  the  achievement  of  trade  and  sustainable  development 
objectives.  The  Parties  agreed  to  prepare  the  first  draft  Joint  Monitoring  Report  for 
consideration at the next Trade Committee in 2025. 

In relation to institutional matters, the Parties endorsed the Proposal for a Trade Committee 
Decision amending the iEPA to take account of the accession of the six acceding Pacific States. 
Parties also exchanged views on:  

•  ways  of  operationalising  the  Rules  of  Procedure  (RoP)  of  the  Trade  Committee 

taking account of the accessions;  

• 

• 

the draft Decisions for the RoP of the  Dispute Settlement and Code of Conduct for 
Arbitrators  and  Mediators  and  the  nomination  of  individuals  with  the  view  to 
establishing a list of Arbitrators under the iEPA; 

the adoption of the iEPA Decision concerning technical amendments to Protocol II 
on rules of origin163. 

Finally,  each  Pacific  iEPA  Party  presented  its  National  iEPA  Implementation  Plan  of 
Actions.  
The Parties agreed to hold their 10th iEPA Committee in Brussels in 2025. 

2.2   Trade and sustainable development  

The  Pacific  iEPA  does  not  include  a  chapter  on  trade  and  sustainable  development  (TSD). 
Nevertheless, the EU and the Pacific States are cooperating in the framework of the  Samoa 
Agreement, which replaced the Cotonou Agreement as the framework for the EU relationship 
with ACP countries. The Samoa Agreement includes robust commitments on TSD, which also 
create a basis for further collaboration on these issues. 

The importance of the Samoa Agreement for trade and sustainability matters was reiterated by 
the Parties in the context of the Trade Committee of 6-7 February 2024, where the Parties also 

162 https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/09242a36-a438-40fd-a7af-fe32e36cbd0e/library/4796576b-3289-4def-
b5d4-8cd9ed15f8ee/details  
163 Protocol II concerns the definition of the concept of "originating products" and methods of administrative 
cooperation between the Parties. 

161 

 
 
 
 
 
decided  to  discontinue  the  work  on  the  Joint  Declaration  on  TSD,  as  its  content  has  been 
superseded  by  the  provisions  on  TSD  in  the  Samoa  Agreement.  The  TSD  provisions  of  the 
Samoa Agreement will guide the implementation of the iEPA, so that trade can play its role as 
a positive force for a green and just transition, with climate change being a matter of highest 
priority for the region.  

2.3   Technical assistance and cooperation  

EU  development  assistance  and  cooperation  is  crucial  to  assist  the  Pacific  States  to  meet 
some specific iEPA implementation needs and to improve their capacity to export. The EU 
continued to play an active role to support trade relations with the Pacific, particularly through 
four combined trade-related assistance actions funded under the Pacific Regional Integration 
Support  Programme (PRISE) and the Pacific-EU Marine Partnership Programme (PEUMP). 
Through these actions164 implemented by international (UNCTAD) and regional organisations 
(Pacific  Islands  Forum  Secretariat,  Secretariat  of  the  Pacific  Community,  Forum  Fisheries 
Agency),  Pacific  States  benefited 
the 
implementation  of  the  iEPA  and  new  accessions  to  it,  as  well  as  better  awareness  of  EU 
preferential trade schemes and market access requirements. Assistance (which was extended 
until 2026) included the following activities amongst others, helping the Pacific countries: 

from  complementary  activities  supporting 

- 

- 

- 

to formulate and implement national iEPA implementation plans (Fiji, Papua New 
Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands) and accession proposals (Niue, Tuvalu, the Federated 
States of Micronesia, Timor-Leste, Tonga and Tuvalu); 

to  address  the  iEPA’s  sanitary  and  phyto-sanitary  requirements  (e.g.  coconut, 
coffee, kava and turmeric value chains); 

to  harmonise  customs  operations  at  regional  and  national  levels  (ASYCUDA  and 
single windows), and idenfity non-tariff measures (TRAINS portal); 

- 

to implement the iEPA and WTO trade facilitation commitments. 

164 Namely: SPIRIT-Strengthening Pacific Intra-Regional and International Trade; SAFE-Safe Agriculture Trade 
Facilitation in the Pacific; IMPACT-Improving Pacific Islands Customs and Trade; and PEUMP SFM-
Sustainable Fisherman engagement). 

162 

 
 
 
 
 
Costa Rica 

Agriculture and 
Fisheries 

Partially 
resolved 

Annex 

Barriers resolved (fully/partially/temporarily) along 2024* 

Nr 

ID 

Title 

Country 

Sector 

18102 

Import certification scheme of ceramic tiles 

11381 

Export duties 

Argentina 

Argentina 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

9 

18002 

12325 

10984 

13582 

17202 

10 

10709 

11 

11262 

12 

16144 

13 

17164 

Lengthy processing of market access applications - 
Plants and products of plant origin 
Export restrictions on hides and skins 

Argentina 

Bangladesh 

Problems related to corporate taxation and other 
discriminatory taxes 
Tariffs on multi-component semiconductors (MCOs) 

Brazil 

China 

Lack of progress on export applications of fresh animal 
products, certificates and on the registration of list of 
pre-approved establishments (Pre-listing) 
Slow approval procedures, unpredictable pre-
shipments' process, and restrictions on imports of plants 
and plant products (alternatives to methyl bromide) 
Export duties on raw and semi-finished leather 

Quality Control orders in the automotive sector (wheel 
rims, safety glass, two-wheeler helmets and Brake 
linings) 
Medical devices 

India 

India 

India 

Indonesia 

Indonesia 

14 

13762 

Import quotas on alcoholic beverages 

15 

11760 

Import restriction of wood made products and interior 

Indonesia 

16 

13043 

17 

16382 

18 

16822 

19 

18162 

20 

14303 

21 

10686 

Refusal to allow imports of medical devices certified by 
competent authorities in a number of Member States 
(post 2004) 
Japanese regulations related to offshore wind power 
market 
Procurement - Single Point of Access for Tenders 

Israel 

Japan 

Japan 

Draft Requirements for importation of pork into 
Malaysia 
Trade restrictions due to non-recognition of EU 
regionalisation measures for High Pathogenic Avian 
Influenza outbreaks 
Cumbersome pre-listing and audit procedures 

Malaysia 

Malaysia 

Malaysia 

22 

10684 

Fresh fruit and vegetables import restrictions. 

Mexico 

Ceramics and 
Glass 
Horizontal, 
Textiles and 
Leather 
Agriculture and 
Fisheries 
Textiles and 
Leather 
Horizontal  

Electronics 

Progress 

Resolved 

Partially 
resolved 

Partially 
resolved 
Partially 
resolved 
Partially 
resolved 
Resolved 

Agriculture and 
Fisheries 

Partially 
resolved 

Textiles and 
Leather 
Automotive 

Partially 
resolved 
Partially 
resolved 

Other Industries  Partially 
resolved 
Wines & Spirits  Partially 
resolved 
Partially 
Wood, Paper 
resolved 
and Pulp 
Other Industries  Partially 
resolved 

Services - 
Energy 
Horizontal  

Agriculture and 
Fisheries 
Agriculture and 
Fisheries 

Agriculture and 
Fisheries 
Agriculture and 
Fisheries 
Agriculture and 
Fisheries 

Fisheries 
Horizontal  

Partially 
resolved 
Partially 
resolved 
Partially 
resolved 
Partially 
resolved 

Partially 
resolved 
Partially 
resolved 
Partially 
resolved 
Resolved 

Resolved 

Agriculture and 
Fisheries 

Partially 
resolved 

23 

17863 

24 

11720 

Registration requirements for foreign food 
establishments 
Geographical Indications 

Morocco 

New Zealand  Agriculture and 

25 

26 

13462 

15483 

Cash margins on imported products 

African Swine fever, country wide restrictions on PL, 
BE and IT (safe commodities) 

Pakistan 

Panama 

163 

 
 
27 

15482 

28 

14922 

29 

13022 

30 

12740 

31 

10760 

32 

33 

34 

35 

36 

11901 

17082 

11224 

10962 

10221 

37 

16642 

38 

17802 

39 

15103 

40 

13623 

41 

18142 

42 

10980 

43 

13922 

44 

17682 

Panama 

Agriculture and 
Fisheries 

Partially 
resolved 

Ceramics and 
Glass 
Agriculture and 
Fisheries 
Agriculture and 
Fisheries 

Resolved 

Partially 
resolved 
Partially 
resolved 

Agriculture and 
Fisheries 
Horizontal  

Partially 
resolved 
Resolved 

Wines & Spirits  Partially 
resolved 
Resolved 

Mining 

Pharmaceuticals  Resolved 

Wines & Spirits  Partially 
resolved 
Resolved 

Agriculture and 
Fisheries 
Agriculture and 
Fisheries 
Agriculture and 
Fisheries 

Agriculture and 
Fisheries 
Agriculture and 
Fisheries 
Horizontal  

Resolved 

Partially 
resolved 

Partially 
resolved 
Resolved 

Partially 
resolved 
Pharmaceuticals  Partially 
resolved 
Resolved 

Agriculture and 
Fisheries 

Lack of progress on export applications of fresh animal 
products and on the registration of list of pre-approved 
establishments (Pre-listing) 
Certification procedure and quality marks on ceramic 
tiles 
SPS measures following avian influenza outbreaks in 
the EU 
Non-recognition of EU's regionalisation measures 
implemented due to African Swine Fever and Avian 
Influenza 
Import bans due to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy 
(BSE) 
Swiss Post Customs handling fees 

Alcoholic Beverages Restrictions on Banderols and 
Excessive Sampling 
Export restrictions on copper scrap 

Restrictions of imports of pharmaceutical products 

Market access barriers for alcoholic beverages 

Ban on imports of pigs and pork products from several 
EU Member States due to African Swine Fever 
Blockage of shipments of meat from Italy 

Unjustified trade restrictions - Non recognition of 
country/pest freedom for the Citrus and Asian long 
horned beetle 
Sheep and goat meat market access to the USA 

Trade restrictions on exports of pig meat from Italy due 
to Swine Vesicular Disease 
IPR - Violations 

Saudi Arabia 

South Africa 

South Korea 

South Korea 

Switzerland 

Türkiye 

Türkiye 

Türkiye 

Thailand 

Ukraine 

United Arab 
Emirates 
United States 
of America 

United States 
of America 
United States 
of America 
Uruguay 

Pharmaceuticals registration of drugs and procurement 
rules 
Food additives for meat and cheese 

Vietnam 

Vietnam 

164 

 
 
 
 
 
 
New barriers registered in 2024 

Nr 

ID 

Title 

Ban on imports of finished and semi-finished marble 
products 
Maritime services 

Country 

Algeria 

Bangladesh 

Sector 

Ceramics and Glass, 
Construction Industry 
Services - Transport 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

18062 

18362 

18262 

17942 

18402 

18222 

18322 

18282 

18182 

18382 

18242 

12 

18162 

13 

17863 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

17862 

17882 

17782 

17902 

18202 

18283 

20 

17842 

21 

18342 

Levy on foreign online music streaming services 

Canada 

Services - Other 

Cost of plant risk assessment and verifications 

Colombia 

Agriculture and Fisheries 

Classification of cheese dairy mixture containing more 
than 15% of fat in weight 
Draft - Quality Control Order for furniture 

Slow approval procedures for the import of animals 
and their products 
Import restrictions on finished textile products 

Update of standards for cosmetics mandatory labelling 
in Arabic in Iraq 
Illegal admission of generics to the market 

Classification of cosmetic products as "health 
products" 
Draft Requirements for importation of pork into 
Malaysia 
Registration requirements for foreign food 
establishments 
Requirements on Xylella fastidiosa 

Iceland 

Agriculture and Fisheries 

India 

India 

Wood, Paper and Pulp 

Agriculture and Fisheries 

Indonesia 

Textiles and Leather 

Iraq 

Cosmetics 

Kazakhstan 

Pharmaceuticals 

Kuwait 

Cosmetics 

Malaysia 

Agriculture and Fisheries 

Morocco 

Agriculture and Fisheries 

Morocco 

Agriculture and Fisheries 

Lack of progress in certificates and prelisting 

Nicaragua 

Agriculture and Fisheries 

Pre-shipment inspections for power inverters exported 
to Pakistan 
Delays in accepting certificates 

Safe commodities ban 

Limitations to online sales of alcoholic beverages by 
South Korea 
Non-recognition of EU regionalisation policies - 
African swine fever 
Sponsorship Scheme 

Pakistan 

Electronics 

Panama 

Peru 

Agriculture and Fisheries 

Agriculture and Fisheries 

South Korea 

Wines & Spirits 

Thailand 

Agriculture and Fisheries 

United 
Kingdom 

Services - Business, incl. 
professional services 
Services - Communication, 
incl. postal services 
Pharmaceuticals 

22 

18122 

US-citizenship requirement for drone delivery services  United States 

23 

18082 

Discriminatory medicines registration requirements 

of America 
Uzbekistan 

165