Environmental Goods Agreement negotiations are starting to see a ‘landing zone’. The two year old talks among 17 WTO members over a tariff liberalisation deal on products deemed ‘environmental’ can be finalised this year, negotiators hope. The deal that covers renewable and clean energy products and components, equipment for water or …
EU trade policies
TiSA – contentious issues outstanding as contours becoming visible
The EU Commission released a report on the last round of TiSA negotiations that took place early July in Geneva. The report reveals that the contours of TiSA are clearly taking shape. However, a read in between the lines shows that fundamental differences persist on a variety of topics. The …
Doubts Trump as president would pull US out of WTO
Should the Republican candidate Donald Trump become the next US president, he would face significant obstacles back home in fulfilling his pledge to pull his country out of the WTO, analysts say. For the EU, whether Trump or Hillary Clinton becomes president, talking trade and TTIP with the US won’t …
Brexit: US clarifies EU 27 needs to up TTIP game, UK needs to wait for deal
Updated on 26/07/13h44 CET. Well, “told you so“? Now that the United Kingdom its on its way out from the EU, the US is increasing its demands on the EU 27 in the transatlantic TTIP talks. With a quarter of the EU’s GDP gone, the bloc needs to make …
Trade: the EU’s rising exposure to pressure and blackmail
The EU’s trade policy is being renationalised under the pressure of national governments seeking to regain control over an exclusive competence of the EU and of Brexit. The European bloc is thereby becoming increasingly exposed to new political pressures and blackmail at home and abroad. A pamphlet by Iana Dreyer.
Who wants a trade deal with the UK
Twelve deals. That’s what Liam Fox, the UK’s new man in charge of international trade wants to secure before the end of coming two-year negotiations between the country and the EU. So far, what do we know about who really wants a deal with the UK once it is out of the EU? …
Environmental Goods Agreement – new round of negotiations
The seventeen participants to the Environmental Goods Agreement talks launched in 2014 are gathering for a fresh round in Geneva this week. The aim is to prepare the ground for a G20 meeting hosted by China in Hangzhou by which parties no longer hope to conclude the talks, but expect to …
Commission antidumping overhaul plans stirs mixed feelings
On Wednesday, the Commission announced it would no longer single out China in its antidumping duties ahead of a December 2016, deadline that it believes obliges it to drop it from the list of ‘non market economies’ that allow it to use a non WTO compliant methodology in calculating antidumping …
Post Brexit: UK’s Hammond courting China
The UK’s new Chancellor of the Exchequer Philipp Hammond is in Beijing to pitch the UK as an attractive investment destination post Brexit. Ahead of his trip Philip Hammond stated: “We have built a strong economic relationship with China and as Chinese investments into the UK continue to diversify and …
“Unravelling CETA” campaign in EU Parliament
A group of 8 MEPs from the centre and far left have launched a campaign against CETA called Unravelling CETA. The MEPs are from France, led by maverick French socialist Emmanuel Maurel, Italy, Greece, Spain, and Germany. The objectives of the campaign are not set out clearly, but the …