The EU's external economic relations are structured by a system of concentric circles based on gradations of proximity.
Non-EU economies
Candidate countries have the prospect of becoming Member States once they fulfil the EU's accession criteria.
Potential candidate countries in South-Eastern Europe are still in the process of strengthening their institutions and economies before they can acquire candidate status.
The European Neighbourhood Policy gives privileged relations to a number of countries that are adjacent to the EU's border in the East (Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia) and in the South (the Middle East and North Africa).
The EU also has special relations with a number of economically important industrialised countries such as the US or Japan.
The increasing weight of Asia and Latin America in the global economy has led the EU to strengthen its relations with countries from those two continents.
Sub-Saharan African, Pacific and Caribbean countries also receive special attention because of the high prevalence of poverty in many of these countries and their strong historic links with some Member States.
Last update: 23/12/2009 | Top