News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
The European Commission’s director general for trade Sabine Weyand was quoted in Bloomberg today on the EU’s trade relations with the United States as thus: “If you deal with partners who link up trade policy with security and with industrial policy, et cetera, well, you have to up your game …
This week was mainly about the EU getting back into business mode. The main focus has been on preparing the ground for trade negotiations starting next month with the United Kingdom and managing transatlantic relations. More below. Commissioner Breton toys with idea of a data localisation obligations for business data …
Photo credit: WTO. EU Commissioner Phil Hogan, who met WTO DG Roberto Azevedo, a few days before taking office as trade commissioner in November oast year, will be in charge of devising a new EU strategy to revive the WTO and put the Appellate Body mechanism back to work. A …
E-commerce negotiators gear up for intense first half of 2020 After a stock-taking meeting in Geneva early this week, negotiators involved in the plurilateral negotiations on e-commerce decided there would be a ministerial meeting on the talks in January 2020 at the annual global elite meeting in Davos. The Davos …
That was a pretty lonely affair for France. The European Parliament’s very last plenary last session in Strasbourg this week was dedicated to one of the most difficult and high-profile trade topics at the moment: transatlantic trade relations. More precisely the topic was the threat of new tariffs from Washington …
The international trade committee of the European Parliament has so far had a minor role in setting the European Union’s priorities in the Brexit process. This is set to change as Brussels and London prepare to start trade negotiations after 31 January 2020 and the relationship is heading towards one …
On Wednesday the European Parliament held a snap debate on the EU-Mercosur trade agreement and whether it was compatible with the Green Deal announced by Commission von der Leyen. The Mercosur text’s examination and ratification process have not yet started. Said text is not yet even entirely consolidated. Yet the …
It took Indonesia a long time to move from threat to action: but now we have the complaint filed by Jakarta against the European Union’s REDII directive in its relation to imported biofuels. The Indonesian complaint also targets France’s tax exemptions for biofuels – which do not cover biodiesel based …
This article was prepared with input from Chris Horseman. It is haping up to be a good Christmas for USTR Robert Lighthizer. But this means it won’t be a good Christmas for the European Union. United States relations in focus Over the last few days, the United States and China …
Member states have not yet converged in their views on what exactly they will want from the new relationship with the United Kingdom, an issue discussed at the European Council today in Brussels. The meeting was held on the day after general elections that produced a solid majority for the …
