News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Monday, May 5, 2025
Brussels’ move is such a rare occurrence that it’s worth delving into the details of the European Union’s new export restrictions of protective medical gear introduced following the COVID-19 outbreak on the continent. Legally, the measure is an ‘implementing regulation’ of a 2015 regulation on common rules for exports (Regulation …
It should have been a formality. The EU Vietnam free trade agreement was due to be adopted at a meeting of trade ministers that was cancelled last week. This move followed on a decision by the Council not to hold ‘non essential’ Council meetings in Brussels in order to contain …
It’s not only trade itself that is disrupted by the ‘corona virus’. The global and European Union trade policy machinery is also grinding to a halt. Meanwhile trade restrictions are increasing on the back of the global sanitary crisis. The disrutiption of physical trade and global supply chains on the …
The European Commission is drowning media with new policy announcements. Those announcements are in turn drowned by the whole corona virus situation. Which is leading to cancelled meetings, and not least to disgraceful export restrictions of medical products within the EU. But back to traditional trade policy. We had more …
This week saw major announcements from the European Union on its plans on climate and tax for the coming years. These announcements, combined with continued uncertainties about transatlantic trade relationships, the UK’s exit from the EU, and the fallout from the corona virus epidemic, contributed to a truly febrile atmosphere …
The European Commission is planning to set a climate neutrality goal by 2050 into law. It hopes to get approval by the Council and the European Parliament for sweeping powers to mandate appropriate measures to get there. The central plank of a package of new climate measures announced today is …
It was quiet in Brussels this week. Winter holidays played a part – the coronavius probably less so. The main focus was the post-Brexit EU UK trade relationship, which we covered quite extensively this week. A European Parliament delegation flew out to Australia to talks trade relations….There are rumours of …
If you expected a rapid-reaction ‘big bazooka’ coming out of the European Commission to respond to the current Appellate Body impasse and allow the EU to ‘defend its interests’ as soon as this year – then you forgot that you were in the EU. When the capitals are divided – …
The EU unveiled two policy strategy papers today on its approach to artificial intelligence and to data that might seem as a disappointment to hard-core proponents of European ‘digital sovereignty’. But will come as a relief to many digital industries and to trading partners that feared a protectionist turn in …
In his first appearance in the international trade committee of the European Parliament trade commissioner Phil Hogan laid out his vision on where he wants to see trade policy move under his leadership. His were preliminary thoughts, as the new Irish trade commissioner promised further details in a new “policy …
