News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen made a few curt statements to the press this morning without taking questions from journalists on the next steps following the resignation of trade commissioner Phil Hogan from his post. Von der Leyen asked the Irish government to nominate two candidates, one male, …
Not even one year into his new post Ireland’s commissioner in charge of trade resigned last night following a row over his compliance with government guidelines aimed at containing the global COVID-19 pandemic during as stay in his home country this month. The resignation also follows another recent political setback …
Simplifying rules of origin for the hub-and-spoke preferential trade arrangements in the European Union’s neighbourhood is anything but a simple exercise. The renegotiation of the Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential rules of origin – the PEM convention – has been going on for a decade. It aims at introducing a …
The European Court of Auditors released its first report on the European Union’s trade defence policies in July. While overall ECA gave the Commission a clean slate on how trade defence cases are handled, it pointed to a variety of shortcomings in the decision-making process. Among those shortcomings, issues with …
Updated on 26 August at 9.45 The ‘golfgate’ crisis is deepening and the pressure is growing on the European Commission to act – somehow. More details emerged in the Irish press this morning about European Union’s trade commissioner’s movements in his COVID-19 restricted country during his summer break. Hogan’s fate …
It’s the rentrée for Borderlex and for many other professionals in the trade policy world. Below, a short August wrap-up and week preview for trade policy in Europe and WTO. Cyrpus parliament rejects CETA: The parliament in Cyprus was the first country in the EU to refuse to ratify the …
So Washington will slap 25% tariffs on French and German jams, fruit, liqueurs, pork meats and knives following a revision process of its tariffs imposed on aircraft and food and drink products following its victory in the World Trade Organization case brought against the EU subsidies to Airbus. Five quick …
Dear readers and subscribers. August is the only moment our journalists and staff can take a break from the churn and turbulence of trade policy. We will be back reporting full time for you on 24 August 2020 – fit and ready to face a new year of exciting and …
This has been very intense last week of July on WTO issues – be it agriculture, or the quest for a new leadership in the organisation. On Friday, WTO members agreed to follow General Council head David Walker’s recommendations on how the new WTO director-general will be selected after 7 …
It has happened regularly in the past: the EU may not be in a position to hold a united position on whom it backs as a candidate to become the next director-general of the World Trade Organization. One might be surprised at this notion given that trade policy is an …
