News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Friday, April 25, 2025
A read through amendments tabled by trade committee members in preparation of a report on and trip to China highlights Europe’s divisions vis-à-vis the Asian country. One of the few areas of consensus is support for Taiwan. A delegation of European parliamentarians is in China this week to assess EU-China …
This week, the European Parliament’s international trade committee debated the 474 amendments tabled by MEPs on the EU’s investment screening legislation. Our analysis of the amendments and of the debate reveals there are eight key dividing lines in the EU over the proposal tabled by the European Commission last autumn. …
The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law has an opportunity this week to keep pace with the other developments around the world challenging ISDS by using bold and creative thinking. Such innovation is not beyond UNCITRAL’s mandate, argues Rob Howse. Nothing unites critics of globalization these days …
Put on your seatbelt and get prepared for a crazy ride this week.
Initiatives and discussions involving large groups of countries on issues such as electronic commerce and investment facilitation signal that global trade rules are set for a revamp, says Alan Wolff, deputy director-general of the World Trade Organization. “The WTO rulebook very likely will be updated to address current and …
It was another packed week in trade, with the trans-Atlantic relationship on top of everyone’s mind. We’ve covered some of it here, as well as developments in the run-up to the launch of EU-Australia and EU-New Zealand free trade talks. There’s been a lot of movement between the EU and …
This week, the the policy churn in Brussels will mainly be about what to do about Donald Trump’s trade policies. Some progress might be made when the EU and Mexico sit down for another negotiating round aimed at updating their trade deal, and European lawmakers in Strasbourg will vote on a …
There was a significant increase in investment policies that restrict foreign investments over the last six months, according to UNCTAD, the United Nations trade and investment policy advisory body. The period from November 2017 to February 2018 “saw a remarkable increase in investment restrictions or regulations”, UNCTAD’s latest Investment …
It’s been a momentous week in EU trade. We had the Trump tariff exemption saga in Brussels, and the next phase of Brexit negotiations agreed today by the member states. For Brexit, we have in principle: a transitional period combined with relatively clean withdrawal terms, and initial guidelines for a …
European Union member states’ mandate to the European Commission to lead negotiations to establish a multilateral investment court look very different from the text the executive body tabled to them last September. What emerges clearly from the text: member states want full control of the process. Council members today …
