Accessing markets

The Access2Markets portal helps firms to trade beyond the EU’s borders. Take a guided tour of Access2Markets.

Fight against protectionism

The Market Access Strategy is part of the EU's efforts to create the best possible conditions for European firms to export around the world and to make sure international trade rules are enforced.

Trade and investment barriers

EU trade policy strives to remove trade barriers for European companies on foreign markets. Decisive and coordinated action towards third countries helps European companies to sustain their growth and to diversify their export markets.

Read our featured stories on how the EU, through its Market Access Partnership, helps to remove barriers.

The EU's main market access policies

Goods and services in the EU's export markets

The EU's market access strategy, removing of tariff barriers and non-tariff barriers such as technical barriers to trade and sanitary and phytosanitary measures.

• Technical barriers to trade
• Sanitary and phytosanitary measures
• Goods and services in the EU's export markets

Public procurement

Public procurement rules in EU trade deals, revision of global trade rules.

• Public procurement rules

EU intellectual property protection & enforcement in non-EU countries

Intellectual property rights in world trade, patents, access to medicines, enforcement, geographical indications (GIs).

• Protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights

Rules on investment

The EU's investment policy, statistics, info on the new investment court system, EU membership of international investment groups.

• The Multilateral Investment Court project
• The EU's investment policy

Defending the EU market against unfair trade

Includes trade defence against unfair subsidies and dumping.

• Trade defence measures

Taking action during international trade disputes

Bilateral dispute settlement rules, WTO-specific dispute settlement procedures, investment dispute rules.

• Dispute settlement rules