9th March 2026
At a meeting on 3 March, the World Trade Organization’s Committee on Regional Trade Agreements reviewed five trade pacts involving members from Africa, Europe and Asia, while raising concerns about delays in notifying agreements that are already in force.
The Committee examined the accession of Comoros to the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Eastern and Southern Africa States, covering trade in goods. It also reviewed four other goods-only agreements: a Preferential Trade Agreement between Mozambique and Indonesia; a Free Trade Agreement between China and Serbia; a Free Trade Agreement between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan; and a Free Trade Agreement between Türkiye and the Kingdom of Denmark in respect of the Faroe Islands.
The session was chaired by Ambassador José Valencia of Ecuador, who informed members that three new regional trade agreements had been formally notified to the WTO, while two others had been announced following their signature. He noted, however, that at least 67 agreements currently in force have yet to be notified to the organization, underlining ongoing transparency gaps.
The Committee also considered administrative matters under the WTO’s Transparency Mechanism for Regional Trade Agreements. Members took note of an updated schedule for the submission of implementation reports, with 235 agreements currently due for reporting and a further 13 set to become due in 2026.
The Committee on Regional Trade Agreements oversees the consistency of regional trade pacts with WTO rules and serves as a forum for members to discuss their content and implementation.