The Commission announced it was undertaking a review of its antidumping measures applied to biodiesel imported from Indonesia and Argentina which have been in force since 2013. The move is only part of a wider web of legal disputes regarding these measures. The announcement states that the EU aims to comply with …
EU FTAs & bilateral ties
EU Japan FTA talks require “more work” – EU chief negotiator
The EU and Japan have been trying to conclude their free trade talks before the end of 2016, but the already not very realistic prospect of doing so has hit the wall of reality. “These negotiations are very close to a conclusion”, said Mauro Petriccione, the EU’s chief negotiator at …
MES: China’s WTO complaint on antidumping against EU targets the ‘basic regulation’
China’s complaint to the WTO’s dispute settlement body on Monday was released on Thursday (15 December 2016) ahead of a meeting in Geneva. The text attacks the EU’s so-called ‘basic regulation’ and the relevant articles that single out China for a different treatment than other WTO members for the …
EU Ukraine association deal declaration faces potential rough ride in Dutch upper house
EU leaders managed to find wording acceptable to all 28 EU member states on the declaration requested by the Netherlands during a Council meeting today. A major hurdle to the final adoption of the Association Agreement and its in-built deep and comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU’s eastern neighbour has …
Council legal service adamant Ukraine association agreement declaration does not contradict substance of deal
Today, EU member states are expected to adopt a Dutch-sponsored declaration on the EU Ukraine Association agreement. The Netherlands insisted on such a declaration as a means to respond to a referendum in April 2016 in which voters rejected the agreement that all other member states and the EU institutions …
EP agrees to lift restrictions on textiles trade for Uzbekistan
The European Parliament has lifted its opposition to lifting restrictions on imports of textiles from Uzbekistan by a strong majority of votes (564 in favour). The restrictions were due to be lifted in 2011, but the legislative body withheld its consent until the International Labour Organization be let into the …
EP greenlights Ecuador’s accession to trade pact with Colombia and Peru
The deal is sealed. Ecuador can now join the EU free trade agreement concluded with its neighbours Peru and Colombia. MEPs voted in favour of a deal by a solid majority of 544 votes in favour (44 abstentions, 144 no votes). The FTA with Peru and Colombia is being provisionally applied …
Trade defence overhaul faces rough ride in Parliament amidst WTO pressure from China
The compromise agreement reached by member states on Tuesday morning (13 December 2016) over the three-year old EU regulatory proposal to overhaul its trade defence legislation has been sent back to the European Parliament after two years of deadlock. It is set to face a rough ride there. Meanwhile, with …
Human Rights Watch urges European Parliament to reject Uzbekistan textiles protocol
The European Union’s plans to relax its restrictions on imports of textiles from the Central Asian country Uzbekistan are under criticism by major human rights organisations. In 2011, the European Parliament refused to endorse a textiles protocol attached to a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the autocratic and very closed former Soviet republic. …
EU Japan FTA: Japanese and European digital industries call for progress on data flows
The Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association and the business association Digital Europe are pressing the EU Commission to accept inking a deal on data flows in the e-commerce chapter of the EU Japan free trade agreement currently under negotiation. The three year-old FTA talks are being revived as …
