The world trading system and climate policies need EGA to succeed. Why waste another year to conclude the environmental goods pact in the WTO? Front-row EGA observer Peter Brun on what happened and what comes next for the supposedly easy pact that stumbled last December 2016. More than a month …
EGA
Environmental Goods Agreement – why talks faltered
The Environmental Goods Agreement, a deal under negotiation among seventeen WTO members who cover the bulk of trade in technologies that can help make the planet a more liveable place for future generations, was supposed to be easy. It turned out be a hornet’s nest. This is why. When …
Environmental Goods Agreement talks collapse in Geneva
The chairs of a ministerial of environmental goods agreement – EGA – negotiations USTR Michael Froman and European trade commissioner Cecilia Malmström decided to give up on Sunday (4 December 2016) on two-year old negotiations to eliminate tariffs on a list of green goods initially drawn by the Asia-Pacific group APEC, but hope …
EGA talks on knife edge amidst rift with China
The trade ministers of seventeen members of the Environmental Goods Agreement talks – minus one – will gather in Geneva on 3&4 December to try and clinch a final deal. The chances of success appear low. Disagreements over some sensitive products remain high, so are disagreements to the exact extent of …
Environmental Goods Agreement talks near uncertain endgame
The seventeen WTO members participating in the plurilateral Environmental Goods Agreement negotiations are trying to reach a final deal on a list of ‘green goods’ slated for tariff eliminations. It is not going to be easy. The green goods list builds on an original group of 54 product lines identified by APEC. A final …
Updated: trade in the Parliament 21-24 November
The European Parliament is sitting in a plenary session from 21 t0 24 November 2016. A few agenda highlights: The Parliament will vote on a package of measures to combat wildlife trafficking on Tuesday (22 November). The report by MEP Catherine Bearder broadly endorses a plan presented by the Commission. It calls …
Next steps for EGA
EGA negotiators have high hopes that the green goods deal in the WTO can be concluded this year. A 16th round of talks in Geneva last week brought reported progress. Some of the outstanding issues are explained by Peter Brun in his latest contribution for Borderlex. The planned next steps are the following: …
Will we see an Environmental Goods Agreement in 2016 ?
Chances that EGA, the WTO’s Environmental Goods Agreement, is concluded this year are high, argues Peter Brun. EGA wll bring many systemic benefits for the world trading system and for the climate. But there still are many difficult outstanding issues to resolve. The negotiations for an Environmental Goods Agreement …
EGA talks see tariff endgame
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 …
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 …
