In-depth briefings

EU digital In-depth briefings Latest news United States

Analysis – The EU-US Trade and Tech Council as the new ‘friend-shoring’ vehicle

The EU US Trade and Technology Council has somewhat fallen off global headlines amid the war in Ukraine and the related fallout for the global economy, global supply chains and global politics. But despite its structural weaknesses as a forum to deepen economic ties across the Atlantic, it is defying …

Beyond Brussels In-depth briefings Latest news Steel United States WTO crisis and reform WTO dispute settlement

Beyond Brussels: WTO complaints against US duties are similar, but not the same

So far, six World Trade Organization members have lodged complaints challenging President Donald Trump’s assertion that tariffs on steel and aluminium are needed to protect US national security. They are broadly similar, but hardly identical, and some of the differences are quite noteworthy.   More members have ganged together in …

EU FTAs & bilateral ties In-depth briefings Latest news Mercosur Mexico

Blog: EU-Mexico agreement – key elements

The European Commission has released an 18-page document on the EU-Mexico free trade deal that was concluded over the weekend. Here are the distilled contents of the modernisation exercise, with yours truly’s knee-jerk reactions and annotations.   Negotiators will work over the coming months on a final pact ready to …

Brexit comment In-depth briefings UK trade policy UK-EU negotiations

Technical briefing: EU Commission offers glimpse of ‘hard’ Brexit

Be prepared to run away from Britain, and to run fast. That is, in short, the message the European Commission is sending to non-EU exporters and to UK exporters as part of its ‘Brexit preparedness’ activities with businesses representatives. The commission has been issuing a long list of notices to …

Agriculture Asia EU FTAs & bilateral ties In-depth briefings Japan Mobility Services Social & human rights

EU Japan EPA text analysis – Easy on the ambition?

The European Commission published the bulk of the text of the EU Japan Economic Partnership Agreement in early December last year.   Below some highlights of the pact and some comments – result of your truly’s Christmas break reading. The deal favours significantly EU exporters and is relatively unambitious in services.

ECJ trade and investment case law In-depth briefings Investment liberalisation agreements ISDS MIC ICS

In depth: Where we are in the intra-EU BIT saga

  The silent turf war between the EU Commission and intra-EU investor-state arbitral tribunals and member states that back the bilateral investment treates – BITs – that underpin them is continuing. But resolution of the conflict will likely need to wait until 2018. A Borderlex long-read.