Orange grove in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.
EU FTAs & bilateral ties
Germany: how minority groups have come to dominate the public debate on TTIP
Origin of the graph: Matthias Bauer, ECIPE. Has Germany’s public debate on TTIP been hijacked by two minority political parties? At least some evidence is now emerging that the discussion on the transatlantic treaty has been distorted by a highly active network of ‘civil society’ groups gravitating around the …
In brief: Glimpses of TTIP’s institutional setup
TTIP’s institutional setup is shaping up to become quite inclusive. Too much perhaps? The ten ‘textual proposals’ the EU Commission tabled to the United States Trade Representative during the fourtenth round of negotiations in July are gradually being unplucked and analysed by experts. Elaine Fahey is one of those geeky law …
In brief: UK Australia FTA working group
Australians do master the art of trade diplomacy. The government of Australia has clearly embraced post-Brexit UK and promised London there would be a bilateral free trade agreement between Australia and Britain. London is jubilating: yes we have friends! From Australia, no brashness like New Zealand PM John Key’s statement that the United …
Why Germany won’t likely reject CETA
CETA currently stands good chances of adoption in the expected forthcoming national ratification process in Germany. Germany’s political parties are preparing to grapple with the ratification of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement – CETA – with Canada. The junior coalition governing party SPD is bracing for a showdown on CETA as its leadership …
In brief: Client Earth criticises European Parliament legal opinion on investment court in CETA
The freshly released European Parliament legal service’s opinion on the EU’s investor court system put forward in its Canadian trade agreement CETA was bound to displease investment arbitration and investment treaty critics: it indeed declared the system compatible with EU law. The environmental NGO Client Earth, an activist critic of international investment protection treaties, released a legal opinion …
What the European Parliament legal service says about CETA’s investment chapter
A report by the European Parliament’s legal service released early September considers that the controversial chapter on investment protection in the Canada EU CETA trade agreement is compatible with EU law. The question of legality of international arbitration tribunals and international courts has become a touchy topic with the controversy over …
In brief: TTIP – Juncker pledges negotiation continuation – France tones down calls for suspension
EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said the Commission intended to continue negotiating the transatlantic trade agreement TTIP despite calls from some EU member states to halt the talks. Washington and some capitals in the EU hope to finalise the three year old talks by the end of the year. …
Japan sets out post Brexit wish-list
The Japanese government very unhappy the United Kingdom for its decision to leave the European Union after last June’s referendum to that end. Tokyo has asked both parties to keep the UK’s economy as highly integrated as possible with the Single Market in their forthcoming Brexit negotiations. A frank and stern document released during the G20 summit in Hangzhou, China, …
Spanish and French MEPs on collision course with Commission over Ecuador banana stabilization mechanism
Bananas only interest a minority of trade aficionados. And Latin American bananas even less. But these tend to be the source of major international legal and political conflicts involving the EU. That was the case in the WTO in the 1990s and 2000s when Central Americans and Ecuador sued the EU, …
