News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Saturday, April 26, 2025
After the disastrous Group of Seven summit in Canada, the EU will need to find ways to keep calm, focus on saving the WTO’s dispute settlement system and address some of the root causes of its disputes with the US – not least Germany’s current account surplus, argues Iana Dreyer.
The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law has an opportunity this week to keep pace with the other developments around the world challenging ISDS by using bold and creative thinking. Such innovation is not beyond UNCITRAL’s mandate, argues Rob Howse. Nothing unites critics of globalization these days …
The last moments of a trade negotiation are always highly uncertain. Bluff and brinkmanship are part of the game. Sometimes, someone pulls a rabbit out of the hat and everything falls into place. Yet the petering out of the EU-Mercosur free trade negotiation in Buenos Aires on the sidelines …
The EU and Mercosur are trying hard to get their deal trade done in the coming weeks. The atmosphere among negotiators and in the EU is frenetic as the 31st round of negotiations opens in Brussels on Wednesday. Tensions are running high as competing interests between the parties and …
The French government announced an ‘action plan’ on the EU Canada CETA agreement on Wednesday (25 October 2017). A deep dive into the 20-page document reveals how Macron’s government is manoeuvring to make highly contested trade agreements back home palatable to his party base and the electorate when it puts …
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 …
Analysts and media will be commenting various aspects of the speech UK Prime Minister Theresa May gave in Florence on Friday (22 September 2017) in an attempt to give a new impetus – or to salvage – the ongoing Article 50 negotiations towards Britain’s exit from the EU. On …
Britain is heading straight into the ‘cliff edge’ scenario. It’s time for both Britain and the EU to significantly change tack before it’s too late and Armageddon sets in, argues Iana Dreyer. Both the United Kingdom and the European Union are aiming for a “smooth” and “orderly” withdrawal …
The UK could end up being grateful to the EU for refusing to talk about their future trade deal just now. This gives Britain some time to start thinking about a real economic and trade policy strategy. By Iana Dreyer.
Your Friday satirical play. By Iana Dreyer. Any resemblance with real persons or organisations is purely coincidental.
