A group of five business associations have called on policy makers in Brussels and London to agree as quickly as possible on a transitional agreement as Britain prepares to leave the European Union in late March 2019. The five associations “are concerned that more time will be needed for …
Author: Iana Dreyer
British government releases post-Brexit trade policy strategy paper
The Department for International Trade released its first formal trade policy strategy for a Britain leaving the European Union. With this document, entitled Preparing for our future UK trade policy, for the first time in its one-year existence the department formally sets out the direction in which it intends to …
In brief: EU and Mercosur continue talking on Marrakesh sidelines
The EU and the South American bloc Mercosur are meeting again on the sidelines of the mini WTO ministerial meeting currently held in Morocco, the Commission announced today. The step follows a negotiation round towards a long-sought free trade agreement in Brasilia last week (2-6 October 2017) that put …
WTO Marrakesh mini ministerial – mid-way status update
A large subset of members of the World Trade Organization are meeting in Marrakesh to make progress on various files that could form the basis of an agreement in the big biennial Buenos Aires ministerial meeting to be held in December 2017. For this meeting, the EU joined hands …
Week ahead in EU trade: WTO, packed INTA meeting, China
Update on 09 October 2017, 15.30 CET: Regarding the INTA committee meeting – we were notified on Monday mid day that the sessions on the dual use regulation and on the reciprocity in public procurement regulation were postponed. It’s a dense and packed week for EU trade policy as …
EU India summit: rice key staple on trade menu
The central question hovering over the fourteenth EU India summit held this week in New Delhi was whether both sides would be able to revive long-stalled bilateral trade negotiations known under the acronym BTIA. Though the two parties didn’t manage to do so they committed to other steps to help …
Comment: Why UK EU separation process in WTO will be lengthy
The UK and the EU have been quietly agreeing on the terms under which they would go together to the World Trade Organization in Geneva to present similar but separate commitment schedules as Britain prepares to leave the EU. The UK is trying to make this process as smooth and …
Insight: EU ramps up sustainable development in post-CETA trade agreements
Draft trade agreements currently under negotiation show the EU is ramping up its chapters on trade and sustainable development. One remaining open question is if these chapters will lead to a dispute settlement process that could lead to suspension of commercial preferences. The EU released the latest draft chapters …
Blog: Industry welcomes new EU trade defence method, more on new regulation
Aegis Europe, the industry coalition that has been driving opposition in the EU to the granting of ‘market economy’ treatment to Chinese imports in the bloc’s trade defence instruments, welcomed the compromise reached on Tuesday (3 October 2017) between the EU’s three main institutions on a new trade defence regulation. …
Blog – European Parliament on Brexit – key points from trade perspective
On Tuesday (3 October 2017) the European Parliament adopted by an overwhelming majority a resolution on the current state of play of Britain’s Article 50 withdrawal process from the European Union. The report is a reaction to Prime Minister Theresa May’s September 22 Florence speech. The European Parliament will have …
