In brief: Rwanda’s New Times reports that Tanzania has decided to pull out of the EU East African Community deal. The agreement was slated for signature on 18 July. More to follow.
EU trade policies
Exclusive: Gardner – possible to have “main building blocks” of TTIP by end 2016
In brief: US Ambassador to the EU Anthony Gardner believes the main building blocks of TTIP can be negotiated by end 2016, though he admits agreement on procurement and geographical indications still far off. Asked by Borderlex whether he thought it realistic for the EU and US to conclude …
TTIP Round 14 held under the shadow of Brexit, leaving out services
The EU and the US are holding a fourteenth round of TTIP negotiations. Few expect significant breakthroughs in the now three-year-old talks. Negotiations are deadlocked over bread-and-butter market access issues in agriculture, services, and procurement. Fundamental disagreements persist on rules on investment or on intellectual property rights (geographical indications). The UK’s …
18th EU China Summit – avoiding the difficult topics
EU leaders are preparing for the annual EU China summit, to be held in Beijing on 12th and 13th July. Trade Commissioner Malmström will be in the delegation travelling there. Few concrete steps are expected at the event on trade policy. However, the issue of the EU recognising China as …
CETA: Commission caves in to member state political pressure, declares deal is ‘mixed’
The Commission’s intentions to declare CETA an EU-only agreement, loudly announced last week by President Jean-Claude Juncker, have backfired. Amidst a pushback from powerful member states, including France and Germany, the Commission has decided to declare CETA “mixed” and prioritised its coming into force provisionally as early as possible. …
Argentina’s Macri seeks reassurance on EU Mercosur deal
There is nothing concrete to expect out of the meetings Argentinean President Mauricio Macri has held in Paris this week-end and in Brussels today. Buenos Aires is seeking reassurance that the EU Mercosur negotiations, relaunched in May, will go ahead, despite the likelihood of the United Kindgom leaving the EU …
Slovakia takes over ‘poison chalice’ EU presidency
Finalising TTIP and adopting CETA are among the top trade priorities of the incoming Slovak six-month rotating EU presidency. But Bratislava’s plans will be overshadowed by the fallout of Brexit.
CETA ratification saga: EPP endorses Commission view – France ready to block
The CETA ratification saga continues unfolding. There’s been a stir since Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced on Wednesday that the Commission would put the Canada EU trade deal CETA to the member states next week with the suggestion that it is a deal that falls under the exclusive competence of …
EU Turkey customs union : Commission hopes for mandate on upgrade in late 2016
The process leading up to the formal launch of the planned negotiations to modernise the EU-Turkey customs union is taking shape, Cecilia Mallström told the Parliament’s trade committee today. “We have high ambitions”, Malmström said. “The goal is to have services, procurement – for the first time – and go …
Berlin consternation in face of CETA national parliament bypass push
EU Commission President Juncker weighed in: the Commission sees CETA, the trade deal with Canada, as falling under “exclusive” EU competence and thus not requiring ratification by national parliaments. This is causing consternation in Berlin, though there are differences in point of view between Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU party and …
