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ABOUT US

About the Ambassador

Speaking in one voice to advocate for positive change 

  • João Aguiar Machado, Ambassador and Permanent Representative

    João Aguiar Machado
    Ambassador and Permanent Representative

Message from the Ambassador

A long-term European official with a distinguished career in trade, transport and maritime affairs to his name, Ambassador João Aguiar Machado has headed the Permanent Mission since 2019.

Dear visitor,

Welcome to the website of the Permanent Mission of the European Union to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The European Union (EU) is a strong supporter of the multilateral trading system. Having exclusive competence in trade policy, the EU plays a key role in the WTO and actively promotes a multilateral trading system that is fair, predictable and based on common rules.

As the world’s largest trading entity, and the single-largest provider of Aid for Trade, the EU, speaking with one voice in the WTO, is a leader in advancing the rules-based multilateral trading system.

As the cornerstone of the multilateral trading system, the WTO has been a success in ensuring a stable and predictable environment for businesses to operate and prosper based on a common set of trade rules. This was once again confirmed at the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in June 2022 that delivered a strong package of deliverables. However, despite this success the WTO faces a number of challenges. WTO Members therefore agreed at MC12 to work towards necessary reform of the WTO. More than ever, this reform demands global cooperation and collaboration to effectively address the global challenges facing the international community.

The EU participates actively in the day-to-day work of the WTO and has presented concrete proposals to improve the different work strands of the organisation; from its negotiating function, the supervision and monitoring of WTO Members' trade policy and measures, and, the operation of the dispute settlement system. The EU will continue playing a leading role and work collectively with its WTO partners to shape the multilateral trading system to address the economic realities and needs of today, not least recovering from and building back better following the devastation of the COVID 19 crisis, as well as the food and energy crises caused by the brutal, unjustified and illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

This website is designed to inform you of the EU’s multilateral trade policy and the various activities of the EU in the WTO. Your comments, questions, and suggestions regarding our work at the WTO are always welcome.

 

You can contact us directly at [email protected]

I would also invite you to follow my Twitter account: @EUAmbWTO and that of the Permanent Mission: @EUmissionWTO