News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Sunday, May 4, 2025
This week, member state envoys to Brussels are getting back to work as ‘comitology’ meetings start again after a long summer break. The trade agenda is packed. Trade policy ‘experts’ this week will hold meetings on the EU’s modernisation plans for the World Trade Organization and transatlantic trade relations. Neither …
This week was largely dominated by the European Parliament’s work on trade, the transatlantic trade rift and the deepening crisis of the WTO’s Appellate Body. This is what we wrote about this week: The WTO Appellate Body crisis here and here Southern Africa and UK trade post Brexit State of …
After Cecilia Malmström briefed MEPs on the July meeting between US President Donald Trump and the European Commission’s chief, Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Parliament made clear that it wanted a say in the negotiation process that is now unfolding. The two sides are setting up an ‘executive working group’ that …
In Europe, the tendency is to bundle together or even mix up Australia and New Zealand, the two neighbouring Oceanian countries. In trade, the two sometimes add to the confusion by at times signing free trade agreements with third countries together, such as in 2009 with their neighbour ASEAN. The …
The European Parliament’s international trade committee is examining a new regulation tabled by the European Commission aimed at streamlining the way safeguards are negotiated with current bilateral free trade agreement partners. The legislation would apply to the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, to the EU-Singapore FTA and to the EU-Vietnam FTA. …
The EU and the US clashed this week over a sensitive World Trade Organization Appellate Body compliance ruling. Last May, WTO judges said the EU continued to violate its WTO obligations in relation to launch aid for the Airbus aircraft series A350 and A380. Ever since the ruling came out, …
In one month, the WTO’s Appellate Body will only have three members left. The United States blocked the reappointment of its latest outgoing member, Shree Babu Chekitan Servansing. Since 2016, Washington has been blocking the appointment of the seven-member body. The US argues that the WTO’s top judges are overstepping …
It’s not going to be a relaxed rentrée in Brussels. The policy world will jolt into frenetic activity ahead of a packed autumn – the last autumn of the current European Commission and European Parliament. While most of us were on holiday, some European Commission officials have started to prepare …
The United Kingdom government has released more than 20 notices offering guidance to British businesses on what to do ahead of a possible failure of its withdrawal negotiations with the EU. It has also revealed some contingency plans to avoid an excessively damaging halt to essential services such as financial …
Not much came out of today’s press point today by Michel Barner and Dominic Raab, the EU’s and UK’s chief Brexit negotiators. But work is clearly acccelerating behind the scenes towards a Brexit deal in the coming months as the UK fine-tunes its financial services stance and views on protection …
