Free trade agreements of the EU

These pages cover the key contents of the rules of origin of some of the EU’s free trade agreements and describe what is required of businesses for them to gain preferential treatment in exports and imports.

Please note that there are separate pages on the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean cumulation network and the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) for developing countries, as these are not traditional free trade agreements.

The free trade agreements facilitate trade with more than 70 countries

The European Union has close to 50 bilateral free trade agreements that are based on preferential treatment and facilitating market entry. The free trade agreements cover trade with more than 70 countries.

The EU is actively negotiating with different countries and groups of countries regarding new agreements or updates to existing agreements. In addition, the EU has several Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), for which efforts are being made to negotiate additional protocols on rules of origin in order to enable preferential trade.

The products must meet the rules of origin

Preferential treatment under a free trade agreement can only be granted to products that meet the rules of origin of the agreement.

The protocol on rules of origin is an important part of the agreement, as it ensures that the product has been manufactured in the partner country in accordance with the rules agreed jointly with the EU.