News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Friday, April 25, 2025
It’s a bit of a thankless task to have to unpluck 441 pages of a leaked draft EU treaty during a corona virus outbreak and amidst many other urgent trade matters that need covering. But here some initial thoughts on the ‘trade agreement’ aspect of the deal after a first …
Member states of the European Union formally endorsed a mandate for the Commission to start treaty negotiations with the United Kingdom to seal their long-term post-Brexit relationship. These will start as soon as next week. The United States is eager to start its own talks with Britain as soon as …
The European Union’s largest business umbrella group released its position paper on the coming negotiations with the United Kingdom on their future economic relationship this week. The move comes only days after the European Commission released a draft mandate for member states to sign off ahead of formal negotiations due …
The European Commission released the draft negotiating mandate it is seeking from EU member states today for talks with the United Kindom. The move was an opening shot to a high-stakes and high-risk negotiation towards a new relationship with Great Britain, which left the EU last Friday. The actual negotiating …
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 …
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 …
Tonight’s vote in the British parliament marks a milestone. The United Kingdom now seems on track to leave the European Union with an agreement. The risk of a ‘no deal’ Brexit on Halloween remains. But doesn’t look too likely. With a first positive vote on an Article 50 agreement on …
Airbus, transatlantic This week in European Union trade politics will be dominated yet again by ‘Airbus tariffs’ and the general state of transatlantic trade relations. Today, the Dispute Settlement Body of the World Trade Organization is set to authorise retaliation by the United States after it won its case against …
This week has mainly been about the EU-Vietnam trade agreement and the final stretches over the 20-year-old EU Mercosur trade negotiations.
Sabine Weyand is to become next Director General for Trade, replacing the Frenchman Jean-Luc Demarty. Ms Weyand will lead the European Union’s trade bureaucracy after almost three years in a strategic post as deputy to the European Commission’s Article 50 Task force, the team that negotiated a ‘withdrawal agreement’ with …
