News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
The impending disappearance of the appeals mechanism for resolving disputes is rattling the World Trade Organization community as some WTO members are now focusing on alternative mechanisms to enable appeals in trade disputes. But perhaps more disturbingly: Are the majority of WTO members in fact quite indifferent to the fate …
Yes, we all know, this was transatlantic week and Airbus week. It was also Phil Hogan week. It was also international trade committee week – with MEPs discussing the US-EU beef quota and the ongoing EU-Australia negotiations. Below other interesting news. Parliament gears up for EU Vietnam FTA and IPA ratification …
The perception in Brussels is that the approach taken in the choice and level of tariffs by the US Trade Representative to hit the European Union following yesterday’s WTO arbitrator’s green light in the Airbus affair is relatively measured. Accordingly, the EU’s own response to the tariffs, too, is expected …
The arbitrator nominated by the European Union and the United States to determine the amount of trade Washington may impose tariffs on in response to the EU’s non-compliance with a WTO Appellate Body ruling has circulated his report to the parties today. The report still needs validation by the WTO’s …
We all know it. The World Trade Organization’s dispute settlement body can’t cope with an overload of disputes. 2018 saw a surge in requests for consultations and dispute panels which an understaffed system now needs to digest. While the rules setting out the functioning of the WTO’s dispute panels stipulate …
The EU is out there to secure a dense and reliable set of international rules for trade for itself in a time of severe crisis in the multilateral trading system and transatlantic relations. Among others, it is doing so by investing into its bilateral trade agreement strategy and adding new …
“Canada and the EU are proud to have demonstrated leadership in the creation of this interim arrangement”, reads a joint statement by Ottawa and Brussels released today (25 July). Will this be the first in a further series of ad hoc bilateral arrangements World Trade Organization members will establish to …
The latest progress report the European Commission released today (25 July) on the state of the bilateral conversation on trade policy with the United States reads like a political and business ‘pitch’ to Washington and European audiences more than anything else. Yet it offers some clues on where the two …
Trade negotiations between the European Union and Indonesia continue, despite deep splits between Brussels and Jakarta over issues ranging from palm oil to technical barriers to trade.
This will be a week where the European Union will test its ability to decide on its fundamental policy direction and on international trade.
