Market Entry Facilitating Tools
The European Union's trade policy initiatives not only strengthen cooperation between member states, but also provide tangible support for exporting companies. Tools such as the Access2Markets (A2M) platform, the Single Entry Point (SEP), and the Trade Barriers list can directly facilitate Hungarian companies' market entry into third countries.
These innovative solutions enable the simplification of export processes, the faster identification and resolution of trade barriers, and a more accurate assessment of relevant markets. The following section will provide a detailed overview of these tools, which can effectively support the international success of Hungarian businesses.
The Access2Markets platform, operated by the European Commission, is a multifunctional website where exporters can explore detailed information about the trade of specific goods and services. In addition to specifying the name or HS code of the product, the company must indicate the origin and destination of the export. Based on this data, the platform automatically generates the most essential information required for export: the trade agreements in place with the target country, the applicable tariffs for the specific product, the regulatory environment in the destination country, and whether any market access barriers have already been identified.
The portal features multiple submenus, making this information accessible not only for products but also for services, investments, and public procurement.
Through the Single Entry Point (SEP) mechanism, companies can anonymously report to the European Commission any unjustified barriers they encounter in the markets of third countries. This tool is crucial, because resolving market access barriers often requires significant time; however, the sooner the Commission becomes aware of the issue, the sooner it can address it.
If a company initially reports a market access problem to the national ministry or the embassy in the third country, and the issue is only later relayed to the Commission through the member state, valuable time may be lost.
The Access2Markets platform includes the so-called Trade Barriers list, which provides an overview of market access barriers by country and sector. This helps companies planning to start export activities identify the most suitable markets more easily.