EU:s trade agreements

The European Union (EU) has entered into customs unions and free trade agreements with most of the countries in Central Europe, with many of the Mediterranean countries as well as with Mexico, South Africa and Chile. The EU is also currently in negotiations with 76 ACP countries (Africa, Caribbean, Pacific) as well as with Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman). Through these various trade agreements, the tariffs for a large number of goods are either reduced or abolished.   

In late 2006, the EU decided to begin negotiations on free trade agreements with India, South Korea and the ASEAN member countries (Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Burma), the Central American countries (Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama) and the Andean Community (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru).

There is no single terminology for the EU free trade agreements. Their classification depends on their underlying purpose. As such, the EU has concluded a range of Association Agreements, whose main purpose is development. Such agreements will also contain chapters on cooperation and political dialogue. Other agreements, such as the one the EU is currently negotiating with Korea, are primarily negotiated for trade reasons and are simply named free trade agreements.   

Concluded Free Trade Agreements
Algeria
Egypt
Israel
Jordan
Lebanon
Mexico
Moldova
Morocco
Palestine
South Africa
Tunisia
Turkey (customs union)

Ongoing negotiations
Argentina
Brazil
Chile
India
Iraq
Paraguay
Syria
Ukraine
Uruguay
Read more on the European Commission website>> http://ec.europa.eu/trade/issues/bilateral/index_en.htm