News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
This article is the first in a series of pieces Borderlex is planning to publish over the autumn 2019 to take stock of the European Union’s trade defence instrument policy at a critical turning point both in the multilateral trading system and in the EU’s trade defence practices. Since 2014, …
Perhaps this is the week when the European Parliament will really get down to work on international trade policy, and it’s the week after the summer break where trade disputes and trade negotiations really start trailing off. INTA committee The international trade committee is meeting today and tomorrow. Today’s session …
Phil Hogan might come to regret having been the one to have made the the EU-Mercosur trade agreement possible earlier this summer by brokering difficult last-minute compromises. The outgoing agriculture commissioner will be among the first nominees for the new European Commission to be heard by MEPs as he bids …
Good morning. Brussels continues to have this ‘interregnum’ feel about it as it prepares for leadership change at the top. Legislative work is slow. A newly elected European Parliament is only gradually getting organised to work on trade. The primary focus is on politics: the parliament is preparing hearings with …
The arbitrator nominated by the European Union and the United States to determine the amount of trade Washington may impose tariffs on in response to the EU’s non-compliance with a WTO Appellate Body ruling has circulated his report to the parties today. The report still needs validation by the WTO’s …
We all know it. The World Trade Organization’s dispute settlement body can’t cope with an overload of disputes. 2018 saw a surge in requests for consultations and dispute panels which an understaffed system now needs to digest. While the rules setting out the functioning of the WTO’s dispute panels stipulate …
Singaporeans have been kept waiting for years for a trade agreement concluded years ago with the European Union to finally come into force. While the deal is expected to bring a variety of economic benefits, there is a sense that it already starts being outdated. Singapore is keen to more …
The wheels of the Brussels machinery are gradually starting to churn again. So here a few useful items to watch out for this week. On Tuesday, European Commission-elect Ursula von der Leyen will announce who she wants to serve on which vacant new commissioner post. Mainstream expectations continue to be …
The ritual early September rentrée week in Brussels was all about who will get which jobs in the incoming European Commission. There is a sense that the European Union is at a historically critical juncture. Preoccupations centre on transatlantic relations, China, US-China, Brexit and populism. This is set to have …
US ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland in meetings with European Commission officials in October 2018. Credit: EC.The United States administration is making significant diplomatic efforts to bring crisis-ridden transatlantic relations onto a better footing. On Tuesday Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met nominee to head the European Commission Ursula …
