The Commission is working through its trade agreements amidst heavy headwinds. A ministerial meeting on the Environmental Goods Agreement in Geneva failed to deliver a deal this week-end. Whether other trade and investment projects will materialise is not clear…. Below, the key files to watch this week. …
Author: Iana Dreyer
Environmental Goods Agreement talks collapse in Geneva
The chairs of a ministerial of environmental goods agreement – EGA – negotiations USTR Michael Froman and European trade commissioner Cecilia Malmström decided to give up on Sunday (4 December 2016) on two-year old negotiations to eliminate tariffs on a list of green goods initially drawn by the Asia-Pacific group APEC, but hope …
EGA talks on knife edge amidst rift with China
The trade ministers of seventeen members of the Environmental Goods Agreement talks – minus one – will gather in Geneva on 3&4 December to try and clinch a final deal. The chances of success appear low. Disagreements over some sensitive products remain high, so are disagreements to the exact extent of …
GSP Plus – Philippines, Pakistan and Sri Lanka under EU scrutiny
The EU will examine three countries under its GSP Plus scheme in early December: the Philippines, Pakisan and Sri Lanka. The Philippines have come into the crosshairs of those concerned about recently elected president Duterte’s human rights track record. Duterte’s ordering of extra-judicial killings in a bloody crack-down on drugs-related crime has raised …
Belgium to request opinion on ICS from ECJ after Singapore ruling
The Belgians are fighting internal tussles over how to follow up on the internal compromise achieved between the federal government, the Flemish regional bodies and the Wallonians ahead of the signature of the EU Canada trade pact CETA early November this year. Charles Michel has tabled a motion in …
Vietnam Ambassador heard by Wallonian parliament
The parliament of Wallonia is hearing the views of Vietnam’s Ambassador to the EU today (1 December 2016). After having been in the limelight as the regional Belgian parliament that almost scuppered the EU Canada CETA deal late October, the Namur-based legislature has stepped up its scrutiny of all free trade …
New Deputy DG in the trade department nominated
The Commission has found a replacement to Sabine Weyand, the Deputy Director General at DG Trade who has joined the new Brexit team led by Michel Barner. The nominee is Joost Korte. The Dutchman has been Deputy Director General Deputy Director-General the department for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) …
What a Trump presidency could mean for trade policy and the EU – two expert views
We still don’t know exactly what the next US president, Donald Trump, will do on trade policy. Mr Trump has campaigned on a highly protectionist and trade-sceptic platform. He has vowed to raise substantial tariffs on imports from Mexico and from China. He even suggested he might want to pull …
EU Turkey customs union: agriculture and coup aftermath in trade committee limelight
The trade committee of the European Parliament discussed current plans to launch negotiations with Turkey to modernise the existing two-decade old customs union between the EU and its big southern neighbour: the process faces challenges, both political and related to bread-and-butter market access issues. The Commission hopes to table …
In brief: Fresh insights into TTIP state of play
The Commission has published the list of documents related to the TTIP negotiations that it has circulated to the member states and the European Parliament. The move came ahead of a visit by trade commissioner Malmström to Washington on Monday to take stock of TTIP as these are expected to go into …
