News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Friday, April 25, 2025
It’s been a long journey for Uzbekistan. The Central Asian country remains one of the world’s most closed and politically repressive countries, but it embarked on a new journey in 2016 after the passing away of Islam Karimov, a particularly cruel dictator. The five-year reform process might lead the country …
It’s been a pretty packed week. Here other low-key but important developments in EU trade policy. EU Mexico FTA stirrings The EU and Mexico had concluded negotiations towards the modernisation of a twenty year old free trade agreement in April 2018. But that agreement ‘in principle’ left the parties with …
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 …
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. …
The European Parliament is moving to endorse a 2011 EU Uzbekistan textiles agreement it had previously rejected. Uzbekistan came under fire for engaging in child labour and forced labour in its cotton and fabrics industry. But reported progress on that front and an EU desire to deepen its footprint in Central Asia have contributed …
