Efforts to finalise an agreement for eliminating tariffs on so-called ‘green goods’ among 17 countries at the World Trade Organization (WTO) gathered momentum after the participants zeroed in on an initial list of 600 products that will be subjected to intense – and challenging – negotiations early May. Ravi Kanth …
EU trade policies
Comment: Centre-right MEPs have seized the moment on ISDS
The EU Parliament centre-right majority group are becoming more visible in the debate on investment protection issues in trade agreements and in TTIP. MEPs from the EPP made an unusual show of presence and responsiveness at the trade committee meeting on 18 March 2015 in which trade commissioner Malmström presented the …
Expert interview : Lifting trade preferences for Bosnia & Herzegovina is counterproductive
In an interview with Iana Dreyer, Bodo Weber, a seasoned Balkans expert at the Berlin-based Democratisation Policy Council, explained why the EU’s move to lift trade preferences granted to Bosnia and Herzegovina collides with Brussels’ recent drive to revive accession talks with Sarajevo. A longer, more detailed, version of the article …
Blog: EU TiSA mandate – key take-aways
The mandate the EU member states gave to the Commission for the negotiations of TISA – declassified yesterday amidst great fanfare – is an exciting document. Slightly satirical personal quick notes by Iana Dreyer.
Comment: When will the EU’s ad-hoc approach to transparency in trade policy end?
EU member states are expected to give the green light to publishing the negotiationg mandate they gave to the Commission on the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA). This follows on a similar move on TTIP late last year. Now is time for EU institutions to abandon the ad hoc approach …
Blog: Malmström meets Russian economy minister Ulyukaev
Analysis: Party politics of ISDS in the EU – a moving target
After debates in the European parliament and in the German social-democratic party held this week on investor-to-state dispute settlement (ISDS) in TTIP, only one thing is clear: ISDS is a moving target on the European political scene. By Iana Dreyer.
In brief: EU requests panel on Russian import duties in WTO
The EU requested today the establishment of a dispute settlement panel at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva concerning Russia’s import duties on a variety of industrial products, notably paper products, refrigerators and palm oil. Brussels has launched consultations in Geneva on the matter last autumn.
EU Vietnam FTA: rice carve-outs and ‘double transformation’ rule of origin in sight
Ongoing European Union (EU)-Vietnam free trade negotiations are reaching a critical point. Although negotiations have advanced well so far, the most difficult part of the talks still lies ahead of Brussels and Hanoi, a hearing at the EU parliament revealed. Some idea of the likely carve-outs from trade liberalisation in this politically sensitive deal for …
COMMENT: Turning the tide on deteriorating EU investment protection standards after Lisbon
The standards of investment protection in the European Union (EU) have been lowered at a time when the bloc badly needs private and foreign direct investment, argues Nikos Lavranos in a piece of commentary on the state of investment law on the continent. But the EU can turn the tide …
