Identification and elimination market access barriers (GATS)

Trade in construction services is predominantly undertaken by majority-owned affiliates located in foreign markets. Firms that engage in international trade affairs generally establish some type of affiliate, joint venture or branch office in third country markets. Therefore, limitations to commercial presence such as investment restrictions, nationality requests, restricted access to local utilities and institutions and restrictions on types of corporate entities all have a great effect on the construction firms providing their services in foreign markets.

Effective market access for EU construction firms will depend on whether it is possible for them to compete for the public procurement of construction projects abroad. The absence of multilateral rules for procurement is probably the most important non-tariff barrier affecting this sector. Further on, many informal, “invisible” trade barriers to trade exist in construction services.

It is the task of EIC to identify and help remove trade barriers on an international level. Through close co-operation with the European Services Forum (ESF) , which was set up at the request of the European Commission with the task of identifying the most common market access barriers, EIC has already provided valuable input necessary to push on the ongoing multilateral negotiations.

ESF

DG Trade

WTO