The EU Mission to the World Trade Organization (WTO) represents the interests of the EU and its 27 Member States in the WTO. The EU Mission is part of the European External Action Service (EEAS) established following the Lisbon Treaty of 2007. The Permanent Delegation of the EU to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva deals with other international organisations in Geneva, such as UN, WIPO etc. whereas the Delegation of the European Union in Bern focuses on bilateral relations with Switzerland. Visa and consular matters are dealt with by delegations of EU Member States in Bern.

The overall objective of the WTO is to help its members use trade as a means to raise living standards, create jobs and improve people’s lives. The WTO is run by its member governments. All major decisions are made by the membership as a whole, either by ministers (who usually meet at least once every two years) or by their ambassadors or delegates (who meet regularly in Geneva).

The EU supports the central role of the WTO in rule-making, trade liberalisation and sustainable development. EU plays a major role in the WTO since the EU is the world’s biggest trading bloc. And the WTO is at the centre of trade because more than 60% of EU trade is conducted on WTO terms. The EU is therefore a strong supporter of the multilateral trading system. The EU and its Member States are collectively the largest Aid for Trade donor, representing a third of all support provided globally. The EU and its Member States are also by far the biggest contributors to the WTO budget with a share of more than 30%. In recent years, the EU has taken on a leading role in WTO reform, not least to ensure that the WTO remains fit for purpose to support a green and inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and greater future resilience to such crises.