News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Friday, May 9, 2025
Animal welfare is set to become an increasingly important priority in the EU’s free trade agreements with major meat exporters such as South America, Mexico and, soon, Australia and New Zealand. Ever since the Lisbon Treaty in 2009 introduced the notion in EU fundamental law that animals are “sentient …
The European Parliament endorsed by an overwhelming majority a new piece of trade defence legislation that amends EU methods to determine the normal value of a product and injury to domestic industry from dumping. The legislation comes as the EU prepares to drop countries like China and Vietnam from …
The European Commission has released a new ‘aid for trade’ strategy. After spending close to €97 billion in trade-related aid between 2007 and 2015, the EU is now reassessing its priorities. Brussels’ new focus will be on helping as a priority the world’s least developed countries and fragile states. …
Updated on 13 November 2017 at 14.45 CET. The EU is preparing to launch negotiations with Chile to update their 2002 Association Agreement and include new topics such as services trade, procurement, agriculture and new rules on sustainable development, gender equality, possibly protection of indigenous peoples. Member states …
All eyes will be on the European Parliament this week, when the assembly votes on dumping measures designed to protect EU jobs and industry. The Parliament’s trade committee approved the compromise agreement with the Council and the European Commission last month, and the legislation could enter into force this year …
Today EU member states gathered around the Commission to take stock of various free trade agreement files. Here a run through what we have gathered at the foreign affairs Council and during the past week in Brussels. EU Mercosur and EU Mexico free trade negotiations “We are now entering …
There is intensive lobbying by European sugar beet growers against the prospect of widening of EU quotas for non EU cane sugar as part of ongoing bilateral free trade negotiations. Yet it might only be a matter of time until the EU allows more import of cane sugar from outside …
The three EU institutions are trying to hammer out an agreement among themselves to finalise a 2013 reform package of the EU’s trade defence instruments that aims to make the EU more reactive and transparent in this policy area. The Council, led by the Estonian presidency of the EU, …
The EU and Mexico are holding technical talks this week ahead of a formal new round of negotiations later this month. The pressure is on both sides to conclude talks to modernise their 2000 trade agreement – which is folded into what is known as the Global Agreement. Significant challenges …
EU health and safety measures for food products were a key focus of a meeting at the World Trade Organization in Geneva on Monday (06 November 2017). MC11 flop on Maximum Residue Levels The meeting of the WTO committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures examined a United States …
