Vietnam concluded an FTA with the EU in late 2015 and is keen on seeing it coming into force as soon as possible. Whereas the Commission is trying to ensure another agreement concluded almost at the same time as the Vietnam deal – CETA with Canada – gets ratified and can come …
Author: Iana Dreyer
German Social Democrats greenlight CETA – ask for future revisions
Germany’s social-democratic party has endorsed the EU Canadian trade agreement CETA at a party convention on Monday (19 September). This move increases the chances that the treaty will be ratified by Germany, but does not give Brussels and Ottawa a blank cheque. The approval came after SPD …
ECJ annuls Indonesia and Argentina biodiesel antidumping duties
The Court of Justice of the European Union has asked the European Commission to annul current antidumping duties applied to biodiesel from Indonesia and from Argentina.
Head of German Catholic Church says TTIP can contribute to fairer world economic order
He is Catholic, he is German, and his family name is Marx. You’d think he is against the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership currently under negotiation between the EU and the United States. But in fact he approves of TTIP. Cardinal Reinhard Marx, president of the German Bishop’s Conference, and also …
Malmström and Freeland ready to offer further clarifications on CETA
Canada and the Commission are to offer further clarifications on CETA ahead of a meeting of member states on the EU-Canadian trade deal. The German social democrats – the SPD – received only part of what they asked for. After Germany’s Sigmar Gabriel, the country’s vice chancellor went to Canada on Thursday …
The week ahead in EU trade policy
This week (19-23 September) will not only be packed, but also decisive for EU trade policy. Today Monday (19 September), Germany’s social democratic party, Angela Merkel’s junior coalition partner, is deciding whether it wants to back the Canadian trade agreement negotiated by the EU, CETA. The deal now needs to be …
New TiSA leaks reveal trade treaty innovations, deep divisions
Wikileaks has leaked five negotiation texts pertaining to the Trade in Services Agreement process. The texts bear June and July 2016 dates and were presumably discussed during last round of negotiations in July in Geneva. The revealed texts are: the consolidated version of the core text of TiSA; an EU 30-page …
Comment – CETA and TTIP: twelve apostles do not a majority make
A letter by twelve EU member states supporting the Commission in its endeavour to see through the trade agreement concluded with Canada (CETA) this autumn and to finalise TTIP negotiations with the United States was received as a weak and puny last ditch attempt to salvage the projects. But does …
Malmström asks Council to fast-forward Ecuador FTA decision
Commissioner Malmström is trying to accelerate the ratification of Ecuador’s planned accession to the 2012 free trade agreement between the EU and Peru and Colombia by asking the member states to fast track their decision. The move was made ahead of a visit to Brussels by Ecuador’s Vice President Jorge Glas and its Minister of Foreign Trade of Ecuador Juan Carlos …
Report: TiSA needs to prepare for expansion to China, developing countries
A new report published by the German Development Institute calls on TiSA parties to pay closer attention to ensuring developing countries can join later and are not negatively affected by the deal.
