Transparency in EU trade policy: 2023 statistics for DG TRADE - European Commission
Skip to main content
European Commission logo
Trade and Economic Security

Transparency in EU trade policy: 2023 statistics for DG TRADE

The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Trade (DG TRADE) continues to attach great importance to transparency and public access to documents. The following statistics provide an indication of the resources and efforts put into this in 2023.

Trade topics
  • Negotiations and agreements
  • Trade policy

Access to Documents

In 2023, DG TRADE handled a total of 201 requests for Access to Documents.

Full or partial access was granted to 75% of the identified documents. Most of these documents, notably 67% of the requests, either did not have any content redacted, only had personal data removed, or were full release cases.

Proactive transparency

In 2023 DG TRADE proactively published:

  • information on meetings of committees and dialogues set up in the framework of EU trade agreements;
  • negotiation round reports, and initial EU text proposals tabled during ongoing negotiations;  
  • a large number of Trade and Technology Council (TTC)-related 
  • documents, including submissions and position papers;
  • information on meetings of trade-related Expert Groups;
  • all Commission decisions regarding Member States’ Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs);
  • non-sensitive summary records of the Trade Defence Instruments committee, and;
  • all three BIT decisions adopted in 2023, as well as all 14 non-confidential Committee on Trade and Sustainable Development summary reports.

In addition, DG TRADE

  • organised 16 Civil Society Dialogue meetings and other events with stakeholders to provide updates on ongoing individual negotiations and the EU's overall trade agenda, and;
  • replied to more than 200 questions forwarded by the Europe Direct Contact Centre (EDCC). Overall, the EDCC received and handled more than 1,500 trade-related questions received from all parts of society (citizens, academics, students, etc.).

Tune in to trade policy insights

What do rare-earth magnets, Irish hockey pucks, and Christmas trees have in common? They all highlight the vibrant trade between Canada and the EU — a partnership that’s grown far beyond commerce to tackle today’s global challenges together.

24/06/2025 | Episode 13 | 36 minutes

Trade-off podcast - Episode 10

Tom Moylan meets the new Trade and Economic Security Commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič, to discuss Mercosur, tariffs, and trust.

19/12/2024 | Episode 10 | 29 minutes

Latest news

  • Press release

At the first ever EU-Moldova Summit in Chișinău, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Council António Costa and President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu agreed to deepen cooperation in the interest of EU and Moldovan citizens.

  • 1 min read

Latest events