PANEUROMED area: Update on what changes on 1 January 2026
In 2026, the modernised Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention (PEM) established itself as the new regulatory framework for trade within the PANEUROMED area. The French customs authorities have recently clarified the detailed rules of application, including the deletion of the EUR-MED proof and the cumulation rules of origin.
As a reminder, the PANEUROMED area brings together a group of countries that have free trade agreements with each other to allow preferential customs duties to be granted on goods that comply with certain rules of origin. This is a large free trade area that includes the EU, EFTA countries (Switzerland, Norway, etc.), Turkey, the Balkans and several countries around the Mediterranean.
As a reminder, the PANEUROMED area brings together a group of countries that have free trade agreements with each other to allow preferential customs duties to be granted on goods that comply with certain rules of origin. This is a large free trade area that includes the EU, EFTA countries (Switzerland, Norway, etc.), Turkey, the Balkans and several countries around the Mediterranean.
At the beginning of the year, Customs published several documents:
- The Note to operators No 25000349 of 30 December 2025 broadcast by the Economic Action Poles;
- A sheet synthesizing the main new, including changes in certain rules of origin and, above all, the disappearance of proof of origin EUR-MED ;
- One form detailing the method of reading the matrix to verify which version of the rules to use according to the partner country;
- One record showing the possibilities of cumulation on 1 January 2026 depending on the countries which have not yet validated the new version of the rules of origin.
These regulatory developments within the PANEUROMED area represent both a challenge and an opportunity for businesses. Well controlled, they reduce your customs costs but in practice they are complex to implement.
Our team of experts is at your disposal to clarify the subject.
Customs