News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Trade policy isn’t the most prominent priority of Bulgaria, the Balkan country in charge of presiding the six-month rotating presidency of the European Council. Sofia has put the onus on youth, security, digital and connectivity in the Western Balkans. Trade elicits only a few very general paragraphs in Sofia’s 16-page …
It will be a busy week on the trade front this week, with the European Parliament’s trade committee set to vote on the reform on the EU’s trade-defence instruments and the World Economic Forum’s meeting in Davos, Switzerland – including a World Trade Organization ‘mini-ministerial’ on the sidelines of the …
This week in EU trade was marked by a first substantive round of trade negotiations with Chile, as well as a meeting of the EU Korea trade committee dominated by EU recriminations against Korean beef import restrictions and one of its labour union laws. Otherwise it’s been report and data …
There were plenty of trade stories from around the world this week, including efforts by China’s president to ease strained ties with the US, a request for Washington to probe the security risks of uranium imports, India’s plan to hold a mini-ministerial meeting, Australia’s trade challenge of Canadian measures on …
Although the future of the EU’s trade deals with Mexico and South America’s Mercosur is still up in the air, the bloc kicks off discussions with Chile this week in a bid to update their 15-year-old Association Agreement. The European Parliament also meets in plenary session this week, with several …
The year began with a bang in some parts of the world in terms of commerce, including a World Trade Organization complained filed by Canada against US trade-remedy measures that could eventually draw in other WTO members as complainants. Canada challenges ‘America First’ approach at WTO Canada has …
This week was relatively calm in the Brussels policy world. The entire European Commission team flew to Sofia feting Bulgaria as it took over the EU presidency for the next six months, lavishing praise and money on the bloc’s poorest country. Technocrat trade negotiators are far away in Mexico trying to hammer …
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.
The new year begins rather slowly, but with optimism that the EU and Mexico will soon manage to clinch their updated trade deal. The eighth round of talks will be held this week in Mexico after the two sides failed to secure the modernised accord before Christmas. Following the …
Welcome back to our A week in Brussels Friday column! Happy New Year! The first week of the year is generally quiet when it comes to policy and trade in Brussels and elsewhere. This week hasn’t been different. But here, a few useful things garnered over the break for …
