Charlemagne: The European Commission marks 25 years of the Everything But Arms scheme on Wednesday 4 November 2026 with a hybrid conference in the Charlemagne Building at Rue de la Loi 170 in Brussels. Trade and Economic Security Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič opens the event, which also presents the new EU Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) that applies from January 2027.
Everything But Arms gives the least developed countries duty-free and quota-free access to the EU market for all products except arms and ammunition. The Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security organises the afternoon, with talks running from 14:00 to 17:30 CET and a livestream for remote viewers. Bernd Lange, chair of Parliament’s international trade committee, and Francisca Tatchouop Belobe of the African Union Commission deliver the keynotes.
The anniversary arrives as the Commission prepares the next chapter. The new GSP Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2026/1395, was signed on 18 June 2026 and published in the Official Journal on 22 June. Its rules apply from 1 January 2027 for the next ten years, so partner governments and exporters now have two months to adjust.
Brussels keeps the three-tier structure. Standard GSP covers low and lower-middle income countries and removes duties on two-thirds of tariff lines in part or in full. GSP+ cuts the same tariffs to zero for vulnerable economies that implement international conventions on human rights, labour standards, environmental protection and good governance. Everything But Arms stays the most generous arrangement, and least developed countries receive it automatically, even if they hold another preferential deal.
Negotiators designed the revision to strengthen the social, environmental and climate dimensions of the scheme. The Commission, Council and Parliament reached political agreement on 1 December 2025, and Parliament cast the final vote on 28 April 2026. Beneficiaries must respect the principles of the conventions listed in the Regulation, and the Commission can still withdraw preferences after serious and systematic violations, as it did for part of Cambodia’s Everything But Arms access in 2020.
The Commission also keeps safeguards for European industry. Producers can request protective measures when GSP imports cause serious economic difficulties, and countries that become upper middle-income lose their eligibility. The latest triennial implementation report, published jointly with the High Representative on 16 July 2026, covers 2023 to 2025 and singles out Bangladesh, Cambodia and Myanmar for enhanced engagement. Readers can follow the programme and registration details on the Commission trade event page, and the full rulebook sits on the GSP page.
Panels on Wednesday cover the changing geopolitical environment, business opportunities for small firms and women-led companies, and links to Global Gateway and the EU’s Economic Partnership Agreements. For the world’s poorest exporters, the anniversary is a reminder that Everything But Arms remains the core of EU development trade, and the January 2027 start date will decide how much that promise is worth in the next decade.
