how the european commission supports companies in market …€¦ · ms ms embassies eu business...

How the European Commission Supports Companies in Market Access and International Activities

Brussels, 28 June 2013

Signe Ratso, Director, European Commission

EU remains a trading power…

15.5 % of world trade (in goods) in 2011

First

exporter

14.9% (2011)

Largest

importer

16,1% (2011)

EU-27 received €241.7 bn in FDI 2011

(ranking 1st before US €226.9 bn)

2

EU trade policy and its Market Access Strategy

facilitate internationalisation through

1. opening markets

2. enforcement of agreements

3. specific services

Agreements in force Negotiations concluded

Bilateral agreements – State of play

Mexico

Columbia Peru

Cariforum

Chile South Africa

South Korea

Ukraine

Euro-Med

Central America

Fiji

Papua New

Guinea Singapore

EFTA

Turkey

Balkans

Eastern & Southern

Africa

Cameroon Ivory Coast

Bilateral agreements – the way ahead

Japan

Eastern partners

Pacific

Malaysia India

Thailand

Mercosur

Euro-Med

Canada

Gulf countries

5 African regions

Vietnam

Other ASEAN

Negotiations ongoing Negotiations under consideration

United States

Market Access Strategy: tools for European exporters

• Ensures effective access for European companies to non-EU markets

• Translating trade opportunities of multilateral and bilateral negotiations into actual trade flows

• Part of the enforcement agenda of EU trade policy, complementary to negotiating agenda

The two pillars of the Market Access Strategy

Market Access Strategy (MAS)

Market Access Partnership (MAP)

Removal of trade barriers

Market Access Database (MADB)

Information on market access conditions

Market Access Partnership: Objectives

• Identification, legal and economic analysis of barriers

• Prevention of new barriers

• Removal of existing barriers

• Special focus on needs of small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs)

Market Access Partnership: Structures

MS Embassies MS

EU Business

Commission

EU Business

EU Delegations

MA Advisory Committee +

MA Working Groups

Market Access Teams

Brussels Non-EU

countries

Market Access Partnership: support to SMEs

Why support SMEs:

• 99 % of businesses in EU are SMEs

• SMEs = basis of tomorrow’s prosperity

How do we assist SMEs:

• active cooperation in the MAAC through business associations

• international network for assistance involving EU Delegations in partner countries = SME contact points

Market Access Partnership : results • Quantification of the impact on EU trade of the

introduction and removal of non-tariff barriers

• Focus on 67 key barriers that have been removed completely of partially between 2008 and 2012

• Results: 2011 - € 1.5 billion

2012 - € 2.2 billion

Market Access Strategy : success stories

• Chile – import requirements for health products

• Brazil and Thailand- beef exports: BSE ban lifted

• Vietnam – import of cell phones

Specific service for EU exporters: Market Access Database

(http://madb.europa.eu)

Other specific services for EU SMEs:

• Trade Defence SME Helpdesk

trade-defence-sme-helpdesk@ec.europa.eu

• IPR Helpdesks

China: www.china-iprhelpdesk.eu

ASEAN: www.asean-iprhelpdesk.eu

Other specific services for EU SMEs:

• Existing EU business support structures

India - European Business and Technology Centre (EBTC)

China - European Centre for SMEs Thailand - European ASEAN Business Centre

• Future EU business support structures

Indonesia – Malysia – Philippines – Vietnam

foreseen: other ASEAN countries

Other enforcement activities - fight against protectionism

• Trade and investment barriers report

Focuses on 6 strategic economic partners

• Report on trade restrictive measures

Monitors protectionism in EU's main trading partner countries

Thank you for your attention

http://madb.europa.eu

http://ec.europa.eu/trade