The fourth EU Implementation Report (other languages), published in November 2020 and preceded by the preface by DG Commerce Director-General Sabine Weyand (other languages), provides an overview of the results achieved in 2019 and the remarkable work for the EU`s 36 main preferential trade agreements. The accompanying staff working document provides detailed information in accordance with the trade agreement and trading partners. In some circumstances, trade negotiations with a trading partner have been concluded, but have not yet been signed or ratified. This means that, although the negotiations are over, no part of the agreement is yet in force. Promoting trade and investment in the Pacific Most of the reciprocal agreements covered by the instrument are free trade agreements. Free trade agreements (FTAs) remove barriers to trade between members and provide preferential access to markets on a reciprocal basis. In addition to trade in goods, free trade agreements generally cover trade in services and investment rules and remove tariff and non-tariff barriers. They may also include a number of provisions relating to customs cooperation and trade facilities, as well as harmonising standards and promoting regulatory cooperation in various areas. First, it is one of the names that are sometimes used for free trade agreements, to emphasize their preferential nature, in contrast to trade liberalization under the WTO or unilateral reduction of tariffs. As has already been said, these are rules under which a country unilaterally offers preferential rights to another country or group of countries. The country that offers preference removes or reduces import duties on imports from these countries without the same preferences. These rules generally focus solely on trade in goods. In principle, we can distinguish between unilateral trade agreements and systems (offered from one side to the other) and reciprocal trading systems (negotiated and approved by both parties).
Regional Trade Agreements (ATRs) – The WTO uses the term “regional trade agreements” as a generic for all reciprocal agreements, such as trade agreements, free trade agreements and partial agreements. This is because such agreements were primarily within the jurisdiction of the WTO Regional Trade Agreements Committee. In reality, such trade agreements should not include members. B from the same region (e.g., EU-Canada or Peru-South Korea free trade agreements). Second, the term “preferential trade agreements” can be used for agreements with a partial scope.