The Council, the Commission and the European Parliament have reached a ‘political’ agreement on the shape of a long-awaited EU regulation aiming at eliminating minerals such as gold, tantalum and tungsten from war torn-regions (for example in Central Africa) from European companies’ supply chains. In 2014, the Parliament sent back to …
Social & human rights
Sri Lanka tries to narrow down EU demands in GSP Plus bid
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and Ambassador Rodney Perera in Brussels on 20 October 2016. Credit: Iana Dreyer It should be simple and straightforward: if Sri Lanka applies the 27 human rights, labour and environmental conventions listed by the EU’s regulation, the country should be able to benefit from …
CETA: draft declaration hints at “effectively enforceable” labour and environment provisions in early revision
The German Social-Democrats were promised a declaration by trade commissioner Malmström and trade minister Freeland ahead of a coming Council meeting that aims to give the green light to the signature and ratification of CETA later this month. They are getting it. And it does not quite satisfy the demands made by Bernd …
New EU ‘antitorture’ regulation extends export ban to certain services and EU transit
Two years of ‘trilogue’ negotiations between the Council, the Commission and the European Parliament have significantly transformed the shape and scope of the EU’s legislation aimed at controlling exports of goods that could be used to apply the death penalty or for torture purposes. Five years ago, the EU …
CJEU: Advocate General slams 2015 Morocco trade agreement ruling
The EU Council has increased its chances to win an appeal against a ruling by the General Court in December 2015 that invalidated a 2012 EU trade agreement with Morocco because it purportedly did not take into account human rights considerations in the territory of Western Sahara. The Advocate General’s opinion released today …
Get ready for the coming EU ‘conflict minerals’ regulation
The ‘conflict minerals’ regulation under preparation in the EU will likely go beyond the United States’ equivalent rules under the 2010 Dodd Frank Act. Hundreds of thousands of companies could end up being required to report on their sourcing of tin, tantalum, and tungsten. Better for them to get ready now, writes James Appleyard. …
Human rights issues increase uncertainty for Morocco, Vietnam trade deals
An EU trade agreement with Morocco was thrown into disarray after a Court of Justice of the EU ruling on its human rights consequences for Western Saharan people. The recently concluded trade deal with Vietnam could also see rough times ahead after the EU Parliament picked up on the EU’s …
