WTO | Regional trade agreements

EU - Central America

Basic InformationWTO Consideration ProcessRTA ProvisionsTrade-related data

Agreement name:	EU - Central America
Coverage:	Goods & Services	Type:	Free Trade Agreement & Economic Integration Agreement
Status:	In Force	Notification under:	GATT Art. XXIV & GATS Art. V
Date of signature:	29-Jun-2012	Date of notification:	26-Feb-2013
Date of entry into force:	01-Aug-2013	End of implementation period:	2027
Remarks:	Official Journal of the European Union: L 346 of 15-Dec-2012. Provisional application for Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama: 01-Aug-2013; for Costa Rica and El Salvador: 01-Oct-2013; and for Guatemala: 01- Dec-2013. The United Kingdom was a Member State of the European Union until 31 January 2020. The European Union and the United Kingdom have agreed a Withdrawal Agreement pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, which provides for a time-limited transition period during which European Union law, with limited exceptions as provided for in the Withdrawal Agreement will apply to and in the United Kingdom. Further details are available in the communication from the United Kingdom (WT/GC/206) dated 1 February 2020 and the note verbal from the European Union (WT/LET/1462) dated 27 January 2020 notifying WTO members that the United Kingdom is treated as a member State of the European Union for the purposes of relevant international agreements for the duration of the transition period.
Current signatories:	Austria; Belgium; Bulgaria; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Ireland; Italy; Latvia; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Malta; Netherlands; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Slovak Republic; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Costa Rica; El Salvador; Guatemala; Honduras; Nicaragua; Panama
Original signatories:	Austria; Belgium; Bulgaria; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Ireland; Italy; Latvia; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Malta; Netherlands; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Slovak Republic; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Costa Rica; El Salvador; Guatemala; Honduras; Nicaragua; Panama
RTA Composition:	Bilateral; All Parties are RTAs
Region:	Europe; Central America
All Parties WTO members?	Yes	Cross-Regional:	Yes

Related agreements

EU Treaty

Official Web Address

European Commission
Costa Rica, Ministerio de Comercio Exterior
El Salvador, Ministerio de Economía
Guatemala, Ministerio de Economía
Honduras, Secretaría de Desarrollo Económico
Nicaragua, Ministerio de Fomento, Industría y Comercio
Panamá, Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias

Text of the agreement

Text of the agreement	E F S

Annexes & related documents

Annexes	E F S

Consideration status (G):	Factual Presentation issued	Consideration status (S):	Factual Presentation issued
Date of Consideration (G):	27-Jun-2022	Date of Consideration (S):	27-Jun-2022

Related documents

Document series: WT/REG332

Document type	Symbol	Language
Notification (G)	WT/REG332/N/1/Add.1	E F S
Notification (S)	S/C/N/680/Add.1	E F S
Notification (G)	WT/REG332/N/1	E F S
Notification (S)	S/C/N/680	E F S
Factual Presentation (G&S)	WT/REG332/1	E F S
Questions and Replies	WT/REG332/2	E F S
Questions and Replies	WT/REG332/2/Add.1/Rev.1	E F S
Note on the Meeting of the CRTA	WT/REG332/M/1	E F S
Notification / Inactive Agreements	WT/REG/GEN/N/10	E F S

Document type	Language
Factual Presentation (G & S)	E F S

RTA Provisions Glossary

For details on these provisions, please consult the Glossary.

Last modified on: 14/02/2023

Topics
	Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQ)
	All quantitative import restrictions prohibited
	Rules of Origin (RoO)
		Change of Tariff Classification Criteria (CTC)
		Regional Value Content Criteria (RVC)
		Other Criteria(s)
		De minimis rules
		Outward-processing allowed
		Cumulation among Parties
		Cumulation with non-Parties permitted
	All Export restrictions, including quantitative restrictions, prohibited
	Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures (SPS)
		Specifically reaffirms or incorporates WTO SPS Agreement
		Transparency obligations (SPS)
	Technical regulations, standards, technical barriers to trade (TBT)
		Specifically reaffirms or incorporates WTO TBT Agreement
		Transparency obligations (TBT)
	Safeguard Mechanisms (Goods)
		Specifically reaffirms or incorporates WTO Safeguard Agreement
		RTA-specific safeguard measures permitted in the transition period or shortly thereafter
		RTA-specific safeguard measures always permitted
	Balance-of-payments measures (Goods)
	Anti-Dumping measures
		Specifically reaffirms or incorporates WTO Agreement on Anti-Dumping
		Dispute Settlement not applicable (Anti-Dumping measures)
	Countervailing measures
		Specifically reaffirms or incorporates WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing measures
		Dispute Settlement not applicable (Countervailing measures)
	Subsidies (Goods)
		Prohibition of agricultural export subsidies
	Sector-specific chapter/section or other legal instrument (Goods)
	Denial of benefits
	Services
		Positive list (Services)
	Investment Liberalization Provisions
		National Treatment with regard to the entry of investment (establishment)
		Investment liberalization
	Other Investment Provisions
		Investment Promotion
	Rendez-Vous clause (Investment)
	Provisions on capital transfers


	Domestic Regulation
	Mutual Recognition
	Balance-of-payments measures (Services)
	Movement of Natural Persons
	Sector-specific chapter/section or other legal instrument (Services)
	General Exceptions
	Security Exceptions
	Accession
		Accession open to some third parties only
	Dispute Settlement (DS)
		Ad hoc Adjudicative Process
		Choice of forum
		Exclusive use of forum chosen
	Government procurement
	Intellectual property rights
		Specifically reaffirms or incorporates WTO TRIPS Agreement
		Copyrights and neighbouring rights
		Patent
		Trademarks
		Industrial Designs
		Layout-Designs (topographies) of integrated circuits
		Geographical Indications (GIs)
		Enforcement
	Competition
		Adopts or maintains competition law
		Dispute Settlement not applicable (Competition)
	Provisions on designated monopolies or State Owned Enterprises (SOEs)
	Environment
		No relaxation of environmental laws
		Public participation / consultations provisions
		Dispute Settlement not applicable (Environment)
	Labour
		No relaxation of labour laws
		Dispute Settlement not applicable (Labour)
	Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)
		Cooperation
		Exceptions/exemptions
	E-Commerce
		Customs duty exemption for Digital Products Transmitted Electronically
	Gender
		International commitments
		Cooperation between the Parties
		Dispute Settlement not applicable (Gender)

Document title
European Union
Costa Rica
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Nicaragua
Panama
EU-Central America (Services)

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