News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Thursday, May 1, 2025
Washington’s insistence that the World Trade Organization must be modernised before it gets behind proposals to fill Appellate Body vacancies begs the question: Why hasn’t the US come up with its own proposals to reform the Geneva-based trade body? The Trump administration said in its February Trade Policy Agenda that …
Is small beautiful? And is not having the United States on board a trade negotiation even more so? That could well be, as shown by the state of very below-the-radar discussions on ‘services domestic regulation’ unfolding in the World Trade Organization. A group of about 30 WTO members have been …
The trade policy of the Trump administration is casting a big shadow over the annual World Trade Organization Public Forum this week in Geneva. Formally, the forum is a harmless exercise in putting together panel discussions aimed at brainstorming about the future of trade and an opportunity for the global …
A trilateral meeting among the trade chiefs of the United States, Japan and the EU held in New York committed the three World Trade Organization members to launch common initiatives to overhaul the Geneva-based institution. This trilateral format of meetings started with the aim to address common concerns on – …
EU trade this week was heavy on WTO reform and China (here, here). Brexit was all over the headlines. But there are no actual new developments to report from the heads of government meeting in Austria with Prime Minister Theresa May this week. The Irish border issue remains unresolved, so …
Any mention of the World Trade Organization these days usually includes the words “reform” or “Appellate Body”. While efforts to limit harmful fisheries subsidies aren’t making many big headlines right now, the good news is that they actually seem to be making some progress. That’s not to say a deal …
The EU and China know they must work together to show leadership in matters of global trade and investment. But realising effective cooperation with trade partners to make the system more robust and to withstand the “disruptive bilateralism originating from Washington” is easier said than done, argues Jacques Pelkmans.
The European Commission released its proposals on reforming the World Trade Organization. The move comes ahead of meetings with US, Japanese and Canadian trade ministers next week in North America. A draft version of the EU’s think piece was already circulated to the press this summer – our piece here. …
Like the proverbial nail in the coffin, the US announcement this week that it would not back the reappointment of Appellate Body member Shree Baboo Chekitan Servansing may signal the end of the World Trade Organization’s highest court as we know it. As one trade lawyer put it, the Appellate …
The EU and the US clashed this week over a sensitive World Trade Organization Appellate Body compliance ruling. Last May, WTO judges said the EU continued to violate its WTO obligations in relation to launch aid for the Airbus aircraft series A350 and A380. Ever since the ruling came out, …
