A judgment by the European Court of Justice spelled out preliminary views on the effects of the EU’s International Procurement Instrument on the treatment of non-EU companies involved in public bidding contracts.
ECJ trade and investment case law
Western Sahara : ECJ confirms illegality of Morocco trade deals, forbids French ban
The Court of Justice of the European Union upheld earlier rulings that found bilateral agreements on agriculture and fisheries with Morocco concluded more than a decade ago are illegal due to their unwarranted coverage of Western Saharan products. A parallel Grand Chamber ruling told France not to unilaterally ban imports …
MEPs vote CJEU statute reform: customs cases transferred within Luxembourg court
The European Parliament has voted by a large majority of 600 in favour of a reform of the statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union that could have long-term implications on the way some issues related to international trade policy are adjudicated.
Landmark ruling: ECJ slaps down Cambodia rice import safeguard
It took three and a half years for the General Court in Luxembourg to rule that a now-lapsed three-year safeguard on imports of Indica rice from Cambodia and Myanmar was illegal. EU judges in essence said that the European Commission had not defined the allegedly hurt industry appropriately, that it …
2019 will be about defining a new role for global rules in EU trade
The overarching question shaping European trade policy outcomes this year will be: what role for international trade and investment law for global business and the work of trade diplomats? This issue will be central in the four major files with which European trade policy will grapple: the future of the …
A week in Brussels: CETA, ECJ, Vietnam, Cambodia
It’s been an eventful week in Brussels, culminating with the ongoing European Council – which we will cover separately. The fear of US tariffs on autos, that the multilateral trading system will unravel and China, and frustrations at the slow pace of Brexit negotiations (here and here) have all dominated …
A week in Brussels: China, sanctionable TSD chapters, think tanks
Two big countries dominated the agenda on trade in Brussels this week: the United States and China. Both topics are not unrelated. In this regard, a lot happened in the WTO – see Jennifer’s stories here, here and here. Another topic that has kept EU leaders busy is the bloc’s …
Investor-state: Court intra-EU ruling leaves CETA tribunal question open
The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled today unequivocally that intra-European international investor-state arbitration tribunals are not compatible with EU law. Its summary judgement gives little insight into how it might rule on the compatibility of international investor-state tribunals set up by the European Union with third countries. …
Week ahead in EU trade: BITS ruling, Brexit guidelines, steel
With things suspiciously quiet on both the Mercosur and Mexico trade talk fronts, the biggest news concerning Brussels this week may be coming from Luxembourg, where the Court of Justice rules on the legality of intra-EU bilateral investment treaties. The week’s headlines will most likely be dominated by the looming …
A week in Brussels: Western Sahara fish, agriculture promotion, blockchain
This week was relatively calm in the Brussels policy world. The entire European Commission team flew to Sofia feting Bulgaria as it took over the EU presidency for the next six months, lavishing praise and money on the bloc’s poorest country. Technocrat trade negotiators are far away in Mexico trying to hammer …
