The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is seeking views on the potential impacts of UK accession to the Regional Convention on Pan-Euro Mediterranean Preferential Rules of Origin (PEM).
The Pan-Euro Mediterranean Convention on Rules of Origin (PEM) is a multilateral agreement between 25 contracting parties. These parties include the EU, the EFTA states such as Switzerland and Norway, Egypt, Turkey, and Ukraine to name but a few. The Convention establishes common rules of origin (RoO) among its members to help facilitate trade and support the integration of supply chains.
One of the major barriers to increasing trade in goods is due to RoO. RoO are the criteria used to determine the ‘economic nationality’ of a product. They define where a product was made (as opposed to shipped from) and, consequently, whether imports and exports qualify for preferential tariff rates in trade agreements. However, RoO can be difficult for businesses across the world to navigate. Different approaches to RoO between different countries and between different trade deals can mean a complex patchwork of rules to follow and paperwork to fill out for business. This can be reduced when a bloc of countries aligns their approach on such issues. Across continental Europe, North Africa and parts of the Middle East, the Pan-Euro Mediterranean Convention on Rules of Origin (PEM) does just that.
DBT is seeking to understand the business and partner input on the trade opportunities and risks that might flow from the UK joining PEM.
DBT are interested in the views and experiences of businesses across all sectors, sizes and regions that participate in the trade of goods, particularly in the trade of goods with PEM members.
This call for evidence closes at 11:59pm on 15 December 2025: Pan-Euro Mediterranean Convention on Rules of Origin (PEM) - GOV.UK.