Trade agreements of the European Union

The European Union negotiates trade agreements on behalf of all of its member states, as the member states have granted the EU has an "exclusive competence" to conclude trade agreements. Even so, member states' governments control every step of the process (via the Council of the European Union, whose members are national ministers from each national government): Before negotiations start, member states' governments (via the Council of Ministers) approve the negotiating mandate; During negotiations, member states' governments are regularly briefed on the progress of negotiations and can update the negotiations mandate or suspend negotiations; Upon conclusion of negotiations, member states' governments decide whether the agreement should be signed; After approval from the European Parliament and (in case the agreement covers areas other than trade such as investment protection) upon ratification in each member state parliament, member states' governments decide whether the agreement should be concluded and enter into effect.

Trade agreements in force

State No of jurisdictions represented Signed Provisionalapplication In force since Notes Relations12003 2004 Customs union120062006 2009 SAA Negotiating for EU accession12002 2005 Euro-mediterranean AA Algeria–European Union relationsAndean Community 3 2012http://euobserver.com/9/32177 EU signs FTA 2013, 2017 2024 FTAhttp://en.mercopress.com/2013/08/03/eu-fta-agreements-with-colombia-and-central-america-became-effective-august-first EU FTA agreements with Colombia and Central America became effective August first11990 1991 Customs union Andorra–EU relations120232024SIFA120172021Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement Includes investment provisions according to the UN databaseArmenia–European Union relations119961999Partnership and Cooperation Agreement Includes investment provisions according to the UN databaseAzerbaijan–European Union relations119891990/1991EEC-Euratom-Soviet Union Agreement on trade and commercial and economic cooperationBelarus–European Union relations120082008 2015 SAA Candidate for EU accessionCentral America6201220132024AACentral America–European Union Association Agreement12002, 20232003, 2024 2005 2025 AA, Interim & Updated EU-Chile AA19851985EU-China Agreement on Trade and Economic CooperationEntered into force on 1 October of the same year. The Agreement remains the main legal framework for relations with China. The agreement covers economic and trade relations, as well as the EU-China co-operation programme. It was complemented in 1994 and 2002. Sets out objectives and arrangements for action in the sphere of economic and trade cooperation and is non-preferential.Includes investment provisions according to the UN databaseChina–European Union relations12001 2004 Euro-mediterranean AA Egypt–European Union relations11996 1997 Autonomous entity of Denmark Faroe Islands-EU relations1 2014 2014 2016 AA incl DCFTA Includes investment provisions according to the UN database Georgia–EU relations and Candidate for EU accession11992 1994 EEA Iceland–EU relations120122018Partnership and Cooperation Agreement Iraq–European Union relations119951996 2000 Euro-Mediterranean AA Israel–EU relations120182019Economic Partnership Agreement Japan-EU relations11997 2002 Euro-Mediterranean AA Jordan–EU relations120152020Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) Includes investment provisions according to the UN database Kazakhstan–European Union relations11999Partnership and Cooperation Agreement Includes investment provisions according to the UN databaseKyrgyzstan–EU relations120232024Economic Partnership Agreement 1 20152016SAAPotential candidate for EU accession12002 2006 Euro-Mediterranean AA Lebanon–EU relations11992 1995 EEA Liechtenstein–EU relations11997 2000 FTA Mexico–EU relations1 2014 2014 2016 Moldova–European Union Association Agreement incl European Union–Moldova Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area Moldova–EU relations and Negotiating for EU accession1 1958 Franco-Monegasque Customs Convention (customs union) Monaco–EU relations120072008 2010 SAA Negotiating for EU accession11996 2000 Euro-Mediterranean AA Morocco–EU relations120232024 FTANew Zealand–EU relations120012001 2004 SAA Negotiating for EU accession11992 1994 EEA Norway–EU relations's Overseas Countries and Territories132001 2001 Association of the OCTs with the EU11997 1997 Euro-Mediterranean AA Palestine–EU relations119941997Partnership and Cooperation Agreement Includes investment provisions according to the UN databaseRussia–European Union relations119911992 2002 Customs union San Marino–EU relations120082010 2013 SAA Negotiating for EU accession120182019 2026FTA, Digital Trade Agreement Singapore–European Union relations119992000 2004 ATDC South Africa–EU relations120102011 2015FTA South Korea–EU relations11972 1973 Trade agreement Switzerland–EU relations11977 1977 Cooperation agreement Syria–EU relations 12010Partnership and Co-operation Agreement Includes investment provisions according to the UN databaseTajikistan–EU relations11995 1998 Euro-Mediterranean AA Tunisia–European Union relations11995 1995 Customs union Includes investment provisions according to the UN database Turkey–EU relations119891990/1991EEC-Euratom-Soviet Union Agreement on trade and commercial and economic cooperationTurkmenistan–European Union relations 1 2014 2016 2017 Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement incl DCFTA Includes investment provisions according to the UN database Ukraine–EU relations and Negotiating for EU accession11999Partnership and Cooperation Agreement Includes investment provisions according to the UN databaseUzbekistan–European Union relations1202020212021Trade and Cooperation AgreementUnited Kingdom–EU relations 1 2019 2020 EVFTA Vietnam–EU relations

Trade agreements provisionally applied

State Signed ProvisionalApplication Ratification Notes Relations 20092014Interim agreement with a view to an EPA20162017Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement Canada–European Union relationsCARIFORUM States 2008 2008 EPA - Croatia acceded to the agreement on 28 November 2017 2009 2016Stepping Stone EPAEastern and Southern Africa States 2009 2012, 2019 Interim Agreement for establishing a framework for an EPA 20162016Stepping Stone EPAMercosur20262026European Union–Mercosur free trade agreement.European Union–Mercosur relationsPacific States20092009, 2014, 2018, 2020 Interim Partnership AgreementSouth African Development Community members20162016 Economic Partnership Agreement Agreement signed (awaiting application)

State Signed ProvisionalApplication Ratification Notes Relations2024Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement2026Modernised Global Agreement (MGA) and interim Trade Agreement (iTA) Mexico–EU relations2025Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced TradeEuropean Union–United States relations2025Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation AgreementUzbekistan–European Union relations

Agreements being finalised (negotiations concluded, but not signed) State Negotiations Concluded Signed ProvisionalApplication Ratification NotesDecember 2023NoNo Association Agreement24 March 2026NoNoNoFree Trade Agreement30 December 2020NoNoNoComprehensive Agreement on InvestmentEconomic Community of West African States members6 February 2014NoNo Economic Partnership AgreementEast African Community members16 October 2014No Ratified by In force with Economic Partnership AgreementEastern and Southern Africa States10 Jun 2026NoNoNoEconomic Partnership Agreement27 January 2026NoNoNoFree Trade Agreement13 July 2025NoNoNoIndonesia–European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement10 March 2025NoNoNoDigital Trade AgreementDecember 2024NoNoNoEnhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement

Negotiating new or modernised agreements State New or modernized agreement being negotiated StatusInvestment Protection Agreement, Geographical Indications AgreementNegotiations on the Investment Proctetion Agreement and Geographical Indications Agreement are ongoing as of April 2026.Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA)Negotiations on adding a protocol to the EPCA regarding Geographical Indications (GIs) for agricultural products and foodstuffs, wines and spirits are ongoingFree Trade AgreementNegotiations launched in 2010, paused in 2012 and resumed in 2025Economic Partnership Agreements as part of the Pacific States Interim Partnership AgreementInformed the EU of its intention to accede to the EPA. Free Trade Agreement Negotiations launched in 2015Economic Partnership Agreements as part of the Pacific States Interim Partnership AgreementInformed the EU of its intention to accede to the EPA.Free Trade AgreementNegotiations launched in 2013, paused in 2014, and resumed in 2023. Economic Partnership Agreements as part of the Pacific States Interim Partnership Agreement Informed the EU of its intention to accede to the EPA.Economic Partnership Agreements as part of the Pacific States Interim Partnership AgreementInformed the EU of its intention to accede to the EPA.Free Trade Agreement Negotiations launched in April 2025.Economic Partnership Agreements as part of the Pacific States Interim Partnership AgreementInformed the EU of its intention to accede to the EPA.

Negotiations on hold Country or bloc Agreement being negotiated StatusPartnership and Cooperation AgreementNegotiations on modernisation began in 2017, on hold since 2019Partnership and Cooperation AgreementConcluded in 1995, not yet ratified by the European UnionCooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf States Free Trade AgreementNegotiations launched in 1990, suspended since 2008Central AfricaEconomic Partnership AgreementNegotiations launched in 2003, paused until further notice in 2011Eastern and Southern Africa StatesEconomic Partnership AgreementNegotiations launched in 2004, paused until further notice in 2011European Union Association AgreementNegotiations launched in 2015, but halted in 2023Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade AreaNegotiations launched in 2013, on hold since 2014 at Morocco’s requestInvestment protection agreementNegotiations launched in 2015Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade AreaNegotiations launched in 2015, on hold since 2019

Obsolete agreements Country or bloc Agreement Signed Active ObsoleteSAA29 October 20011 March 20011 July 2013Transatlantic Trade and Investment PartnershipNoNo9 April 2019 Soviet Union and its successors The European Economic Community established relations with the Soviet Union through the conclusion of the EEC-Euratom-Soviet Union Agreement on trade and commercial and economic cooperation in 1989.https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:21990X0315(01) After 1991, all 12 successor states to the Soviet Union applied the agreement concluded in 1989 in bilateral relations as their trade agreement with the European Communities and the European Union. As of 2025, the Agreement is in force between the European Union and the Republic of Belarus and between the European Union and Turkmenistan. Previously, the Agreement applied to relations with other successor states of the Soviet Union, but has been replaced by separate bilateral agreements with each post-Soviet country.

Competence

The European Court of Justice has held that investor-state arbitration provisions (including a dedicated tribunal planned by some free trade agreements) falls under competency shared between European Union and its member states and that for this reason, the ratification of such mixed agreements should be approved by the EU as well as by each of the union's member states. This court decision has resulted in a new architecture of external trade negotiations which will have two components:

a free trade agreement - related exclusively to trade matters - which can be adopted at the EU level;