News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Friday, April 25, 2025
This last week of July 2021 will see a frenzy of activity at the World Trade Organization as Brussels quiets down and London too – although one cannot exclude new developments in the Northern Ireland file as the EU prepares to bring legal action against the the United Kingdom to …
After a few intense weeks of trade meetings in the UK, Brussels and Geneva, the formal agenda of meetings looks somewhat thinner than in previous weeks. This doesn’t mean critical dossiers are not steering ahead full steam… In Brussels and the UK: The Northern Ireland saga is set to continue …
In this last week of May the focus will be on TRIPS waiver politics, EU China and transatlantic relations and on the environment at the WTO. WTO: IP waiver offer 2.0, three days on environment There will be a lot of activity at the World Trade Organization in Geneva. To …
Trade policy will quiet down this week as the Easter week-end beckons in Europe. Borderlex itself will go fully quiet on Friday (2 April) and come back on Tuesday (6 April).
This week a tenth free trade agreement negotiation round between the EU and Australia continues into its second week. The European Commission will also launch two legal proceedings against the United Kingdom for breaching the terms of the Northern Ireland Protocol (see here). The International Trade Committee of the European …
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to head WTO The World Trade Organization’s General Council is meeting today (Monday 15 February) to take a final decision on the nomination of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to become the next director-general of the organisation. The former World Bank executive was the consensus choice among WTO members in a …
The brand-new EU-UK trade agreement in many ways epitomises a defensive turn in EU trade policy in a world where its geostrategic certainties – not least the comfort of the US security umbrella – have been shaken and the global pandemic exposed its vulnerabilities. But turning defensive is not enough. …
“A presidency is not a government,” quipped the German economy minister in an exchange of views with members of the European Parliament’s international trade committee on Thursday (3 September). Peter Altmeier, who further oversees Germany’s industrial and energy policy, also pointed out that rotating Council presidencies taking place in the …
Today is Roberto Azevêdo’s last day in office as the director-general of the WTO. The Brazilian diplomat is leaving a tattered organisation rudderless as the two sparring big powers – US and EU – couldn’t agree last July on an interim leader chosen among the current four deputy-directors. The Four …
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 …
