News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Today’s judgement of the Court of Justice of the European Union invalidating the 2016 Privacy Shield in force with the United States is throwing further spans in the works of the increasingly tense transatlantic relationship. “Unfortunately, the impact on EU-US trade relations is going to be huge,” reckons Peter Chase, …
The EU unveiled two policy strategy papers today on its approach to artificial intelligence and to data that might seem as a disappointment to hard-core proponents of European ‘digital sovereignty’. But will come as a relief to many digital industries and to trading partners that feared a protectionist turn in …
This week the focus has been on the soon-to-be-launched EU-UK trade negotiations and the real start to British post-Brexit trade policy. Our *four articles* (!) this week here. But London is not quite the centre of the world. Here other developments this week in EU trade. Hogan flies to Washington …
The European Commission’s long-anticipated policy proposals aimed at enhancing Europe’s new-generation internet’s security will rely on a series of traditional ‘trade policy’ instruments. The EU’s executive body wants these to be rolled out within three months across all member states. Brussels has come up with a unique approach in dealing …
The European Commission’s director general for trade Sabine Weyand was quoted in Bloomberg today on the EU’s trade relations with the United States as thus: “If you deal with partners who link up trade policy with security and with industrial policy, et cetera, well, you have to up your game …
This week was mainly about the EU getting back into business mode. The main focus has been on preparing the ground for trade negotiations starting next month with the United Kingdom and managing transatlantic relations. More below. Commissioner Breton toys with idea of a data localisation obligations for business data …
The United States Trade Representative office released an updated report of a hearing in the US Senate held last June. The report offers little that is new on the US’s view on transatlantic trade relations, however the write-up does includes up-to-date views of the US administration on recent plans in …
Plurilateral e-commerce negotiations in the WTO are clearly on track, with rounds taking place every month. The talks, which were kick-started in March, are still their infancy, although they are progressing rapidly.
The European Commission no longer seems to trust global norms, fora or rule-making negotiations to uphold its interests in digital, competition, industry and trade policy. In fact many norms hardly exist and won’t likely emerge so quickly. The EU’s executive arm has been rethinking its policy toolkit and is seeking …
Diplomats of more than 75 countries met in Geneva this week to formally start negotiations to set rules for trade in the 21st century in the World Trade Organization. The aim is to achieve a so-called ‘plurilateral’ agreement among a subset of organisation members which others could join later.
