The European Commission formally tabled a regulation “establishing a framework of measures for strengthening Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem”, also known as the EU ‘Chips Act’. The move codifies EU market interventions pioneered at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic whilst also trying to draw some lessons from these episodes, in particular …
Industrial policy & trade
Semiconductor shortages – Commission to ask for powers to control exports ahead of Chips Act
The European Commission is seeking immediate semiconductor supply shortage crisis management powers ahead of the imminent announcement of a new industrial policy regulation that seeks to ensure that one fifth of world production happens in the European Union by the end of the decade: the EU Chips Act. The Commission …
Technical standards: EU in pushback against perceived rising Chinese, US influence
The European Commission wants the EU to “take back control” of technical standardisation as it rolls out its new industrial policy and seeks to reduce the influence of large Chinese and United States companies in standard-setting bodies in the EU whilst promoting European standards internationally.
Semiconductors: Von der Leyen promises “diversification among like-minded partners”
Plans towards a European Chips Act are maturing. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced a new regulation mirroring similarly named recent United States legislation will be tabled as soon as early February. Brussels’ move in the semiconductor sector heralds a much more politically controlled approach to supply chain …
Blog: Is the EU’s FTA agenda unfreezing?
Is the French government finally realising that blocking progress in bilateral trade agreements might not help its much-touted ‘strategic autonomy’ and supply chain resilience agenda that defines the country’s current rotating EU Council presidency?
European Chips Act expected to involve export and investment controls
The European Commission is preparing a new piece of legislation that aims to boost production of next-generation semiconductors in Europe, a European Chips Act: its trade and investment policy dimension will be a spot to watch.
Comment: Strategic foresight report heralds tightened investment, trade policies
The European Commission released a 2021 Strategic Foresight Report. This report is is an important signalling device on where Brussels intends to take the EU in the coming years with the blessing of its most powerful member states. And that path clearly heralds a trend towards more investment and trade …
EU, Canada launch raw materials dialogue, to talk CBAMs, deepen CETA
The European Union and Canada held an overnight summit, which concluded with agreement to cooperate in a wide range of areas including health, climate change, trade and international security.
Week in Brussels: Raw materials, anti-subsidy actions, CETA financial services
With new fire added to the brewing tensions in EU-US trade relations as new tariffs on the EU were announced in Washington, the EU mulling new retaliatory measures against US trade ‘coercion”, and Brussels infighting over the issue of who – if at all – it will put forward as …