Evaluation of the Impact of EU Free Trade Agreements on Key Environmental Aspects

As part of the commitments set out in the Commission’s 2021 Trade Policy Review, the EU sought to better understand how its trade agreements support global environmental and climate objectives.

In this context, Ecorys led, on behalf of DG TRADE, an expost evaluation assessing the environmental impacts of EU Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), focusing on those that contain comprehensive Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) chapters.

The aim of the study was to evaluate how FTAs have influenced climate and environmental policies in partner countries and to provide a clearer picture of the links between trade commitments, policy changes, and longer-term environmental outcomes. The analysis covered seven FTAs applied across eight partner countries: Canada, Costa Rica, Georgia, Honduras, Japan, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.

The evaluation combined legal and policy analysis with extensive desk research and stakeholder consultations, including interviews, surveys, and case studies. Using causal chain analysis, the study assessed the degree to which environmental provisions in FTAs have contributed to progress on issues such as climate action, regulatory cooperation, and the implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). A key focus was to map developments in MEA ratification and compliance and understand the role of EU cooperation and dialogue in supporting these outcomes.

The findings provide an evidencebased assessment of how EU trade agreements can help advance environmental ambitions globally and offer recommendations for strengthening the effectiveness of future TSD chapters.

The project ran from October 2023 to February 2025.
For more information, please contact Alexander.Boisseau@ecorys.com

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