Verified against primary sources as of 15 August 2026. Laws and figures change — confirm current requirements before relying on this page.
European Union: 4 verified country-layer records — conditional requirement (3), voluntary (1). Each record below carries its legal instrument, who it binds, and the date it was last verified against its primary source.
- Records
- 4
Mandatory and regulatory records
Verified from primary sources, grouped by how binding each one is. None of these is a certificate; each carries the instrument it comes from and the date it was last checked.
Conditional requirement
Voluntary
How this jurisdiction is structured
One national accreditation body per member state
Regulation (EC) No 765/2008, Article 4(1): “Each Member State shall appoint a single national accreditation body.” In any EU member state the answer to “which accreditation body?” is single, and is read from the European Accreditation (EA) directory rather than discovered.
Official source ↗Last verified:
Find a member state's accreditation body
The European Accreditation (EA) directory lists the national accreditation body for each member state and its MLA signatory status.
Official source ↗Last verified:
CE marking — what it is, and what it is not
CE marking is a manufacturer's declaration that a product conforms to the applicable EU harmonisation legislation (Regulation (EC) No 765/2008, Art. 30), affixed by the manufacturer, not issued by a certification body. In the Commission's own words: “a CE marking does not indicate that a product have been approved as safe by the EU or by another authority,” and “there is no central EU body that gives you permission or a certificate allowing you to use the CE mark.”
Official source ↗Last verified:
The Framework Directive sets a legal floor employers must meet
Council Directive 89/391/EEC requires employers to take the measures necessary for the safety and health of workers, including risk assessment and prevention (Art. 6). A voluntary management-system standard does not substitute for a legal obligation: ISO 45001 is a framework used to manage the duties 89/391/EEC creates, not a replacement for them. Member states may adopt stricter national rules (Art. 1(3)); enforcement thresholds and penalties are set at the country level, not here.
Official source ↗Last verified:
Incentive and support programs
Single Market Programme (SMP)
- Funder
- European Commission
- What it provides
- Funds SME competitiveness and market support, including standardisation activity — Regulation (EU) 2021/690, period 2021–2027.
- Eligibility
- Businesses and organisations across the EU single market; specific calls set their own criteria.
Official source ↗Last verified:
Enterprise Europe Network (EEN)
- Funder
- European Commission (EISMEA)
- What it provides
- A business support network for SMEs with international ambitions, delivered through member organisations (chambers of commerce, development agencies, universities, innovation agencies) rather than direct membership.
- Eligibility
- SMEs seeking international business opportunities, accessed through a local EEN member organisation.
Not yet confirmed: Whether services are free is not stated on the page.
Official source ↗Last verified:
Innovation Fund
- Funder
- European Commission
- What it provides
- Funding for the demonstration of innovative low-carbon technologies and the deployment of net-zero technologies, financed from EU Emissions Trading System revenue.
- Eligibility
- Projects accessed through National Contact Points in each member state; competitive, call-based selection.
Official source ↗Last verified:
LIFE Programme
- Funder
- European Commission (CINEA)
- What it provides
- Funding for environment and climate projects, including a strand for SMEs and start-ups developing clean technology ("LIFE close-to-market"); 2026 calls for proposals are open.
- Eligibility
- SMEs, start-ups and non-profit organisations working on environment, nature or climate projects.
Official source ↗Last verified:
Trade & market access
22 agreements
This is not the complete list — 22 of 59 known agreements verified so far against the primary source.
| Agreement | Parties | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treaty Establishing the EU | 6 founding members | In force 1958-01-01 | |
| EU-CARIFORUM States | Caribbean states | In force 2008-12-29 | |
| EU-Canada (CETA) | Canada | In force 2017-09-21 | |
| EU-Japan | Japan | In force 2019-02-01 | |
| EU-South Korea | South Korea | In force 2011-07-01 | |
| EU-Turkey (Customs Union) | Turkey | In force 1996-01-01 | |
| EU-Vietnam | Vietnam | In force 2020-08-01 | |
| EU-Singapore | Singapore | In force 2019-11-21 | |
| EU-Mexico | Mexico | In force 2000-07-01 | services entry into force 2000-10-01 |
| EU-Chile | Chile | In force 2025-02-01 | |
| EU-New Zealand | New Zealand | In force 2024-05-01 | |
| EU-UK | United Kingdom | In force 2021-01-01 | |
| EU-Norway | Norway | In force 1973-07-01 | |
| EU-Switzerland-Liechtenstein | Switzerland, Liechtenstein | In force 1973-01-01 | |
| EU-Iceland | Iceland | In force 1973-04-01 | |
| European Economic Area (EEA) | Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway | In force 1994-01-01 | |
| EU-Ukraine | Ukraine | In force 2014-04-23 | |
| EU-Egypt | Egypt | In force 2004-06-01 | |
| EU-Israel | Israel | In force 2000-06-01 | |
| EU-Morocco | Morocco | In force 2000-03-01 | |
| EU-Algeria | Algeria | In force 2005-09-01 | |
| EU-South Africa | South Africa | In force 2000-01-01 |
WTO Regional Trade Agreements Information System (RTAIS) · retrieved
Frameworks & audits in European Union
EUCC is the EU's first Cybersecurity Act certification scheme for ICT products, based on Common Criteria and applied from 27 February 2025.
eIDAS Qualified Trust Service Provider status follows a conformity assessment by an accredited body and listing on an EU Trusted List.
The EU Cloud Code of Conduct is a voluntary GDPR Article 40 code; cloud providers declare adherence and SCOPE Europe verifies compliance annually.
Requirements Finder results for European Union
Regulations in European Union
- DORA —
- GDPR —
- NIS2 Directive —