11/10/2022 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 11 October the European Commission published its second annual report on the implementation of free trade agreements (FTAs). It states that European exports to its trading partners (which have a FTA with the EU) reached €1,049 billion in 2021. This represents a significant increase over 2020 (646 billion), which was heavily impacted by the pandemic (see EUROPE 12821/22). Trade with these preferential partners represents 44% of total EU trade. The Commission expects this share to increase to 3% once the agreements currently being ratified or adopted are in force. The report also takes stock of trade barriers around the world: the EU has managed to partially or fully remove 39 barriers to trade by 2021. They mainly concerned sanitary and phytosanitary measures. See the report: https://aeur.eu/f/3j8 (LM)