As everyone in Europe prepares for a second semi-locked down COVID-19 Easter, one must say it hasn’t been the most glorious of trade weeks for the European Union – except for a specific CETA performance.
Miscellaneous EU trade files
Flash: EU and UK working on a solution to vaccine export row
In a joint statement circulated by the UK government, the EU and UK have announced that they working on a solution to overcome gripes about real or suspected current and future mutual restrictions on exports of COVID-19 vaccines and related ingredients and inputs. The EU has today amended its temporary …
Vaccine exports: EU suspends export restriction exemptions for neighbours
As announced, the European Commission is tightening up its current export control regime for COVID-19 vaccines. The new rules will apply immediately for a period of six weeks. The EU introduced an export authorisation scheme for COVID-19 vaccines earlier this year amidst shortages, delays and supply bottlenecks of doses deliveries …
Van Brempt report outlines parliament position on vaccine exports, TRIPS, China
The European Parliament is preparing a report on trade policy post COVID-19. The drafting is in the hands of the Belgian S&D group member Kathleen van Brempt and will help define the parliament’s positioning in several trade policy files in the coming months. A first version of the report is …
COVID-19 vaccines: Vite, a CVITA
Instead of engaging in export controls, the world’s large vaccine producers should come together to clinch a ‘Covid-19 Vaccine Investment and Trade Agreement’, write Chad Bown and Thomas Bollyky in a new piece by the Washington-based Peterson Institute for International Economics.
Week in Brussels : MEP UK TCA walkout threat, Vaccine uproar, CETA in Ireland & France
Drift. That’s the best way to describe the week in European Union trade policy. European Parliament threatens EU UK TCA walkout A perpetual crisis over border checks in Northern Ireland is now a possibility, with this week’s UK decision to unilaterally extend a grace period for intra-UK border checks until …
Comment – Vaccine exports controls: Is the European Commission losing control of the situation?
A very different scenario is shaping up between the European Union’s export authorisation scheme developed in March 2020 covering exports of personal protective equipment and the vaccine export authorisation scheme introduced in late January 2021 for exports of COVID-19 vaccines.
EU considers extending its global steel safeguard
The European Union is considering extending its safeguard measures on steel imports beyond the three years mandated by its regulation. The European Commission said it was acting following “a duly substantiated request received from twelve EU member states” – and is now consulting stakeholders. The safeguards were introduced in July …
MEPs slam EU vaccine export authorisation scheme
MEPs in the international trade committee are near-unanimously sceptical of the European Union’s vaccine export authorisation mechanism introduced at the end of January 2021.
UPDATED – EU requires prior authorisation for APA vaccine exports – targeting mainly Britain
This article was updated on 30 January. The European Commission released a regulation submitting exports of vaccines covered by the European Union’s advanced purchase programme to an export license. The move comes days after Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced a ‘transparency’ mechanism for such exports as a row …
