Free Trade Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the EFTA States  consists of 54 Articles and eight Annexes. It covers the following subjects:

•  Trade in Goods
•  Intellectual Property
•  Investment, Services and Government Procurement
•  Payments and Capital Movements
•  Trade and Sustainable Development
•  Institutional Provisions
•  Dispute Settlement

 Trade in Goods

This Chapter sets out the principles and rules of trade between the parties including: scope of products, application of the rules of origin, the issue of reducing the rate of customs duties within the agreed transitional periods as well as the application of import restriction measures, internal taxation, sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures, technical regulations,  rules of competition, subsidies and  countervailing measures, anti-dumping, global and bilateral safeguard measures that are governed by applicable WTO rules in each of these areas.

This Chapter mainly regulates trade in industrial products, fish and marine products, while the trade in processed agricultural products (PAPs) is regulated by a special Annex - Processed agricultural products (Annex II). The trade in basic agricultural products is covered by bilateral agreements concluded between the individual EFTA States and BiH.

 The rules of origin and methods of administrative cooperation are based on the Regional Convention on Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Rules of Origin (PEM Convention), which allows  diagonal accumulation with EFTA States  (excluding basic agricultural products to which bilateral accumulation applies), EU Member States and CEFTA countries.  Diagonal accumulation with the countries or territories included in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership on the basis of the Barcelona declarations will be potentially enabled once the respective agreements with these countries are in the place.

This Chapter also contains an article on trade facilitation between the parties, which is more widely regulated in the Annex on Trade Facilitation (Annex V).

•  Intellectual Property

The Chapter on protection of intellectual property rights is based on the WTO Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).  The protection of Intellectual Property Rights is further defined in the Annex on Protection of Intellectual Property (Annex VII).

The rights and obligations of the parties are determined in more detail in the following areas: copyrights and related rights, trademarks, patents, industrial designs, geographical indications and undisclosed information.   

•  Investment, Services and Government Procurement

Investment

 In the area of investment, the objective is to provide stable, fair and transparent conditions for investors of the other Party who invests or is interested in investing.

Services

 The trade in services is regulated in accordance with the provisions of the General Agreement on Trade in Services(„GATS“).

Government Procurement

The agreement includes a provision on public procurement in order to ensure transparency and avoid discrimination.

• Payments and Capital Movements

This Chapter deals with the issue of international transactions payments and capital movements, as well as the possibility that, in the event of balance of payment difficulties, the country concerned may, in accordance with the terms laid down in the GATT and Articles VIII and XIV of the Statute of the International Monetary Fund, take restrictive measures regarding current payments, if they are necessary.

• Trade and Sustainable Development

 This Chapter covers two areas: protection of labor rights and protection of the environment. In this area, the Parties will seek to facilitate and improve investment, trade in goods and services with an increased level of environmental protection, including the use of new technologies to enhance environmental protection, renewable energy, energy efficiency and eco-labeling of goods.

•  Institutional Provisions

Provisions of this Chapter regulate the establishment of the Joint Committee with adequate powers. The Joint Committee supervises and administers the implementation of the Agreement and establishes the appropriate bodies which it considers necessary for the fulfillment of its tasks.

•  Dispute Settlement

This Chapter defines in more detail the rules and procedures for the settlement of disputes.