Germany is the first among the ‘big’ EU member states to be on track to ratify the trade agreement with Canada commonly known as CETA. The country’s parliament’s ratification approval today comes after years of domestic debate and many misgivings in Germany about the trade agreement – in particular its …
Internal EU politics
Comment – Le Pen, Macron, and the EU’s trade policy
The current French presidential contest is tight and tense. The outcome of the run-off vote in ten days that will oppose incumbent Emmanuel Macron and the national-populist Marine Le Pen will determine whether the European Union as we know it has a future. Speaking of trade policy in this context …
Foreign subsidies regulation: MEPs to haggle over monetary thresholds, non financial contributions
The journey of the new EU foreign subsidies regulation through the European Parliament promises to be a rocky but not impossible one as key dividing lines among political groups emerge over critical aspects of the new legislation.
IPI: MEPs concede in clause that would have diminished foreign influence in capitals
In a few weeks or months the European Union will have a new regulation in place that aims at fostering ‘reciprocity’ in public procurement markets. French minister for trade Franck Riester, who led trilogue talks on behalf of the French presidency of the Council, announced triumphantly that, with the political …
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?
Blog – Macron’s trade priorities for the 2022 French EU presidency
During the first six months of 2022 the trade policy dimension of France’s rotating presidency of the Council will single-mindedly focus on its climate dimension.
The new German government and trade policy – how much change is afoot?
Germany, the European Union’s economic powerhouse and most populous country, will soon have a new government. This opens a new political chapter after sixteen years of a centre-right-led coalition headed by the towering figure of Angela Merkel. One can expect a lot of continuity on how Germany approaches EU trade …
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 …
Slovenian presidency puts America first in its plans for EU trade policy
Slovenia took over the reins of the Council less than two weeks ago and will have to steer the European Union’s trade policy through choppy waters in the coming six months. Speaking at the European Parliament on Tuesday (13 July) Zdravko Počivalšek, Slovenia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic …
Ramblings on the EU’s post-apocalypse trade policy
The coming months will be a challenge for advocates of international trade agreements in Brussels and the wider European Union. Post-Trump, post-Brexit and post-pandemic trade policies are bound to focus on files that respond to a sense of existential threat emanating from its member states.
