Chances that EGA, the WTO’s Environmental Goods Agreement, is concluded this year are high, argues Peter Brun. EGA wll bring many systemic benefits for the world trading system and for the climate. But there still are many difficult outstanding issues to resolve. The negotiations for an Environmental Goods Agreement …
EU Climate, Environment, Labour, Human Rights
Trade committee greenlights an EU Action Plan against wildlife trafficking
On Monday (26 September 2016) the European Parliament’s trade committee broadly endorsed a Commission Action Plan against wildlife trafficking. The INTA text was tabled by British MEP Emma McClarkin (ECR). The opinion will be passed onto the environment committee and to the British MEP Catherine Bearder (ALDE), a rapporteur …
ECJ annuls Indonesia and Argentina biodiesel antidumping duties
The Court of Justice of the European Union has asked the European Commission to annul current antidumping duties applied to biodiesel from Indonesia and from Argentina.
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 …
EGA talks see tariff endgame
Environmental Goods Agreement negotiations are starting to see a ‘landing zone’. The two year old talks among 17 WTO members over a tariff liberalisation deal on products deemed ‘environmental’ can be finalised this year, negotiators hope. The deal that covers renewable and clean energy products and components, equipment for water or …
Environmental Goods Agreement – new round of negotiations
The seventeen participants to the Environmental Goods Agreement talks launched in 2014 are gathering for a fresh round in Geneva this week. The aim is to prepare the ground for a G20 meeting hosted by China in Hangzhou by which parties no longer hope to conclude the talks, but expect to …
In brief: EU launches new case against China raw material export restrictions
Brussels is following Washington on this one. Today, the EU notified the WTO Secretariat of a request for consultations with China over duties and other measures concerning the exportation of certain raw materials. This request follows on a similar one filed by Washington last week (13 July 2016). The move follows …
EU Indonesia free trade negotiations okayed
The EU and Indonesia will launch free trade negotiations in the autumn 2016. Initial plans to do so were launched in 2013, but the ‘scoping exercise’ necessary before the EU member states greenlight new talks had lasted particularly long. With France dropping its plans to tax palm oil – a …
In brief – EP: Trade committee supports energy chapters in FTAs to boost LNG imports
French National Assembly drops ‘Nutella tax’ plans
After the measure was voted down France’s upper house, the Sénat, this spring, France’s plans to introduce a tax on imported palm oil as part of a new biodiversity law, were dropped altogether today by the Assemblée nationale, France’s lower house, where the law is on track to be finalised. …
