London has nominated a new chief economist and head of analysis to its Department for International Trade. Richard Price was previously chief executive of the UK’s Office of Rail and Road, the country’s transport regulator. Prior to that he was chief economist at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs …
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Parliament rejects motion to check CETA’s legality with ECJ
The mainstream parties in the European Parliament have rejected by a large majority a motion initiated by 89 MEPs to submit the EU-Canada trade agreement – CETA – to the Court of Justice of the EU to check its compatibility with EU law. Such a move would have likely postponed …
In brief: EU India – what’s the noise all about?
Much has been said about the recent termination by India of its bilateral investment treaty with the Netherlands’s contribution to the stalling of attempts to revive and EU-India free trade accord (BTIA). In fact it’s not the terminations that are determinant here. It’s the substance of the FTA. India …
In brief: EU EEA agricultural trade talks stumble on GIs
The EU and the European Economic Area countries (Norway and Iceland) have been talking about trade liberalisation in agriculture for almost two years, as part of institutionalised bi-annual trade talks aiming to deepen their economic integration. A meeting of the EU EEA Council today reveals that although trade liberalisation per …
TDI, TTIP – next milestones
On Friday (11 November 2016) member states have come close to clinching a compromise over the reform of trade defence instruments in the EU, namely on the highly controversial issue of whether to remove the so-called lesser duty rule. The final shape of the compromise has started appearing in a Council …
EU Mercosur talks moving slowly ahead in shadow of Brexit
Argentina hopes to finalise revived EU Mercosur free trade negotiations within two years. “In terms of negotiations, we are optimistic, we can move forward on a good path, maybe one or two years”, Argentina’s Commerce Secretary Miguel Braun told reporters last week. Mercosur hopes to move on to a separate agreement …
In brief: Bangladesh mulling FTA with EU
Bangladesh’s textiles industry is pushing for a free trade agreement with the EU. According to local press reports, the country’s Textiles Secretary Rashmi Verma said she “is in constant touch with the Ministry of Commerce to pursue and FTA with the EU to boost international trade especially in the textile …
French digital council asks for TTIP suspension
The head of France’s advisory body on digital issues, the Conseil National du Numérique, said that TTIP is skewed in favour of US tech giants and called for a halt to the negotiations, echoing similar French government calls to that end. In an interview with Les Echos, France’s leading business daily newspaper, Mounir …
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 …
In brief: Vienna comes out against CETA and for a halt to TTIP talks
Ahead of crucial Council meetings late September on CETA and TTIP, Austrian social-democrat Chancellor Christian Kern said he would oppose CETA ratification in the Council. “This will be the next conflict in the EU Austria will cause”, he told local media. On Wednesday (31 August), centre-right Vice Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner said …
