The European Union and Turkey have agreed to advance practical measures to facilitate trade and improve customs cooperation, announcing progress on long-standing market access concerns at the third EU–Türkiye High-Level Dialogue on Trade in Brussels on Tuesday.
Co-chaired by European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič and Turkey’s Trade Minister Ömer Bolat, the meeting took place against the backdrop of expanding economic ties, with bilateral trade in goods reaching a record €217.6 billion in 2025.
Turkey is now the EU’s fifth-largest trading partner, accounting for more than 4% of the bloc’s goods trade, according to Šefčovič.
The talks followed a business roundtable involving EU and Turkish representatives, who called for deeper cooperation and supported modernising the Customs Union, particularly in response to the green and digital transitions.
A key outcome was the removal of a barrier linked to Turkey’s TAREKS import control system, which applies risk-based checks to imported goods. The EU welcomed transparency measures introduced by Türkiye to make the system easier for European exporters to navigate, while both sides acknowledged that further technical work would be needed to resolve practical difficulties raised by businesses.
The parties also confirmed progress on mutual recognition of their Authorised Economic Operator programmes. The agreement, published in the EU’s Official Journal on 13 October, allows each side to recognise the other’s trusted traders, potentially speeding up customs procedures for eligible businesses.
Further progress was reported on regulatory alignment, including Turkey’s alignment with the EU’s new Machinery Regulation. The sides also welcomed advances in customs reform, including e-commerce, and committed to continued work on implementing their trusted-trader agreement.
However, several market access concerns remain unresolved. These include Turkish export taxes on hides, skins and wet-blue leather; import surveillance measures affecting textiles and related materials; and restrictions concerning alcoholic beverages. The parties agreed to continue technical discussions on these issues.
Cooperation will also extend to Turkey’s access to the EU’s energy-labelling registry, known as EPREL, and technical talks on access to the Cosmetic Products Notification Portal (CPNP). Further discussions are planned on pharmaceutical batch releases, public procurement, circular economy, business mobility, trade defence and digital trade, including the mutual recognition of electronic signatures.
The two sides also reviewed cooperation on preventing the circumvention of EU sanctions and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening resilient supply chains and improving the predictability of bilateral trade.
Though the dialogue produced tangible steps to address business concerns, broader structural questions remain.
Both parties pledged to maintain close engagement, with the High-Level Dialogue serving as a platform for resolving outstanding obstacles and identifying new areas of cooperation.
Background: EU–Turkey relations and previous dialogues
Turkey has been an EU candidate country since 1999, but its accession negotiations, launched in 2005, have effectively stalled amid political and rule-of-law concerns. Economic ties remain substantial, underpinned by the EU–Turkey Customs Union, in force since 1996 for most industrial goods and certain processed agricultural products. Calls to modernise the arrangement have persisted, reflecting changes in trade, digitalisation and sustainability.
The High-Level Dialogue on Trade provides a channel for addressing commercial issues separately from the broader political impasse. Yesterday’s meeting was the third dialogue of its kind, following two earlier rounds aimed at strengthening economic cooperation and tackling market access barriers.
Its emphasis on practical outcomes signals continued efforts to preserve the trade relationship despite wider tensions.
(Sources: European Commission)
Read more:
