The EU and Singapore will soon formally start preparing the ground to start negotiations towards a digital partnership agreement. These ‘scoping’ talks will be held within the framework of an already existing two-year-old bilateral free trade agreement and form part of a dedicated working group under the deal’s Joint Committee.
EU trade policies
Comment: The new Japan-US-EU ‘trilateral’ underwent a pandemic mutation
The relaunched Japan-US-EU trilateral conversation aimed at developing new rules related to so-called ‘non-market’ behaviour in international markets is shaping up to be very different from the pre-pandemic initiative launched during the Trump administration.
IPI: MEPs take hard line on exceptions, except for poor countries
The trade committee of the European Parliament adopted its new position on the International Procurement Instrument. The piece of legislation is part of EU efforts to foster ‘reciprocity’ in market access for its firms in international public procurement markets. MEPs consider that there shall be no exceptions to excluding or …
MEP Karin Karlsbro tables earlier CBAM kick-off
The European Parliament is bracing for a battle over the date of coming into force of the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism and related phase-out of domestic free emissions trading allowances. Other issues MEPs will fight over in the CBAM file are the final use of the money the EU …
The new German government and trade policy – how much change is afoot?
Germany, the European Union’s economic powerhouse and most populous country, will soon have a new government. This opens a new political chapter after sixteen years of a centre-right-led coalition headed by the towering figure of Angela Merkel. One can expect a lot of continuity on how Germany approaches EU trade …
FDI report shows Commission light-touch approach to supervising transactions
Direct investments into the EU from China are on the retreat and the trend could persist, finds the European Commission in its first official report on foreign direct investment and member state screening activities. The report is part of an annual exercise foreseen under a new EU-level screening regulation. The …
Japan, US, EU relaunch trilateral engagement on industrial subsidies
The European Union, the United States and Japan have agreed to resume dormant talks aimed at agreeing on joint principles related to industrial subsidisation, which they would like the World Trade Organization to endorse in a potential future reform process.
Brazil sues EU over salmonella regulations at the WTO
Almost ten years after rules on salmonella in poultry meat were amended in the European Union, Brazil is filing for consultations at the dispute settlement body of the World Trade Organization in Geneva over what it sees as discriminatory treatment of its processed poultry meat.
Foreign subsidies, IPI: MEPs eye French presidency to close files
The international trade committee of the European Parliament has begun work on the European Commission’s regulatory proposal on “foreign subsidies distorting the internal market”. Its members are eyeing tighter conditions than originally laid out by the EU executive for triggering investigations.
Sabine Weyand: We will need to re-engage China
Borderlex’s founder and editor Iana Dreyer spoke to the European Commission’s director-general for trade Sabine Weyand. The conversation covered the current state of transatlantic trade relations, the Brussels’ trade conversation with China and prospects for the World Trade Organization as its 12th ministerial conference approaches.