ABSTRACT
The trade policy of the European Union (EU) provides for a number of preferential trade regimes for its partners. One category is composed of countries enjoying free trade with the EU based on free trade agreements (FTAs) and/or deeper forms of integration (customs union, association agreements, specific bilateral agreements, economic area agreements, etc.). These agreements are based on the principle of reciprocity of preferences, where substantially all trade is liberalized among the parties, possibly in an asymmetric way. Such trade agreements are also often complemented by economic, political, strategic and development cooperation dimensions.
