As widely anticipated, the European Union extended on Thursday its export authorisation scheme for COVID-19 vaccines produced by firms with a procurement contract from the EU until the end of June 2021. The move comes amidst controversies over who among the continental EU and the ‘Anglos’ are greater vaccine nationalists. …
China
MEPs call for unilateral EU actions first before ratifying China investment agreement
The international trade committee debated the EU China Comprehensive Investment Agreement – also known as CAI – for the first time since its conclusion last December. A cross-political group consensus is emerging: the EU needs to move first in other areas of policy affecting its China economic and political relationship …
Interview: Pursuing the bigger picture in Asia
Now that the European Union has inked an investment agreement with China it needs to take a big-picture geopolitical approach to the rest of the Asian region and a forward-looking approach to transatlantic relations, argues Reinhard Bütikofer in an interview with Borderlex.
Week in Brussels: CAI text and controversy, Australia, enforcement regulation
Developments in EU trade policy this week by Iana Dreyer and Chris Horseman.
MEPs to keep China, Vietnam investment and trade agreements under human rights watch
The European Parliament released a series of motions for resolutions on human rights in foreign countries this week. Two could have direct consequences for existing EU investment and trade agreements if MEPs consider that the human rights situation in the relevant countries is deteriorating. China investment deal ratification tied to …
Weyand to US: let’s work together on labour rights
The European Commissions director-general for trade Sabine Weyand also hopes to unlock a dialogue with the United States over the Appellate Body in the WTO by promising proposals on ‘judicial economy’ in February.
EU, China announce investment deal
The European Union and China concluded ‘in principle’ a ‘Comprehensive Agreement on Investment’ one day before New Year’s Eve 2020.
Comment: The EU is entitled to its own investment deal with China
This opinion piece reacts to and debates four key criticisms expressed in various media outlets in recent days of the EU-China investment agreement currently seen as in the final stages of negotiations.
Week in Brussels: CETA, France, ECT, China, EPAs
This week has seen two ‘strategic’ initiatives: the launch of a new paper on EU-US relations and the upgrading of EU-ASEAN relations post RCEP. Here other developments of potential interest. Dombrovksis talks to French Senate – Paris CETA ratification date unclear Nobody knows yet when the French government will put …
China investment agreement – breakthroughs on ‘level playing field’
If one is to believe Charles Michel, Angela Merkel and Ursula von der Leyen, today’s online Leaders’ Meeting with China’s president Xi Jinping was productive.