We undertake to examine all complaints submitted. Our capacity to follow up complaints will depend upon the number and complexity of complaints received and our resources available to deal with them.

In these circumstances, we may have to prioritise action using indicators such as the potential economic benefits for EU business as a whole, whether the barrier represents a serious infringement of bilateral or multilateral agreements and the likelihood of resolution within a reasonable timeframe.

It may be that for some complaints we will not take further action after the initial examination.

2. How will I be informed of progress made in following up my complaint?

Each complaint submitted will be subject to an initial review and if considered eligible will be included in the Complaint Register. The complainant will be provided with contact details of a casehandler responsible for co-ordinating any follow up. The status of follow-up will also be accessible via the Complaint Register.

3. Can I submit the complaint in my own language?

Complaints will be accepted in the different official languages of the EU. However, the Complaint Register, as an integral part of the Market Access Database, will be maintained in English. As such, when submitting complaints in other and especially less commonly used languages, you should be aware that recording and any follow up may be slower.

4. Is the Complaint Register linked to the Trade Barriers Regulation (TBR) procedure?

These two procedures are independent of eachother. Market Access complaints require much less information to be provided than TBR complaints. In particular TBR complaints require detailed economic data, inter alia, on adverse effects/injury to EU companies. TBR complaints trigger a formal administrative procedure and the college of Commissioners has to decide whether to initiate a case within 45 days. For further information on TBR complaints please see http://ec.europa.eu/trade/issues/respectrules/tbr/ov_file.htm

5. How long will it take to resolve my complaint?

The nature of barriers to trade in the global economy has changed. Where market access once focused on border tariffs, non-tariff and "behind the border" barriers in the markets of our trading partners are increasingly important. These new types of barriers are more complicated, technically challenging and time consuming to detect, analyse and remove. Therefore, while we intend to examine all complaints, it is important that we focus on the highest priority barriers, in the light of objective prioritisation indicators. As a result, while we intend to achieve the optimum feasible results, we cannot guarantee to remove or even follow up all barriers with third countries which are notified to us.

6. Will my complaint also be recorded in the Market Access Database?

If your complaint is considered eligible, it will be recorded in the Complaint Register and the information provided will also be used to create a market access barrier fiche in the Trade Barriers section of the Market Access Database.

7. I am concerned that the third country authorities will discover that I have made a complaint. How do you protect against disclosure of my identity? We do not disclose the complainant's identity in the Complaint Register or in the Trade Barriers section of the Market Access Database.