On 21 December 2016, the European Commission announced that it has asked the European Council for a mandate to enter into negotiations with Turkey with a view to modernising the existing EU-Turkey Customs Union. Currently, trade between the EU and Turkey is governed by the Customs Union that entered into force in 1996, which allows the tariff-free trade in goods. The current agreement does not include agriculture (except for processed products), services, or public procurement. More