There was much internal wrangling in the European Commission over the issue of whether and under what conditions to extend a temporary import safeguard on products whose imports were liberalised last year under the EU Ukraine trade agreement or are part of a dedicated road corridor to help the war-torn …
Author: Robert Francis
Week in Brussels: Indonesia and Malaysia, Cuba, Spanish presidency
This week was dominated by the fourth Trade and Technology Council meeting and the adoption by the European Parliament of its position on the coming corporate sustainability due diligence legislation. The European Political Community summit in Moldova was conspicuously void of any outcome in this field. Here is what else …
Corporate sustainability due diligence: MEPs make it harder to sue directors
The European Parliament voted on the high-profile Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence directive. The voting contest involved extra last-minute centre-right amendments in plenary. The single one adopted in the end could, if it survives inter-institutional negotiations, make it harder to sue company directors.
EU-US TTC 4’s sustainability agenda: what it includes
The European Union and the United States established a joint work programme under the Transatlantic Initiative on Sustainable Trade – TIST – during the fourth meeting of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council in Luleå, Sweden. The TTC participants also agreed on a number of recommendations to eliminate forced labour. …
Ukraine agriculture safeguard prolongation tussle continues
EU agriculture commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski said that he backs a prolongation to the current rules which prevent Ukrainian grain from entering five EU member states and being placed on their markets. But he faces resistance.
Week in Brussels: EU Korea summit, Ukraine, Lithuania and more.
This has been a dense week in EU trade, with US relationships, Ukraine and Switzerland dominating the picture. But there’s a lot of other things going on….
TTC 4 expected deliverables: technical standards, sustainability and ‘China issues’
Brussels and Washington will announce a slew of small-scale deals at next week’s EU-US trade and Technology Council in Luleå Sweden.
FAC Trade: Critical raw materials mandate, China dialogue, Ukraine safeguard
EU trade ministers gathered today for one of their twice-yearly meetings in Brussels. Whilst often these meetings are a mere information exchange mechanism, this gathering yielded a few concrete decisions.
MEPs split along party lines over proposed forced labour ban
Clear fault lines are developing between the different political factions in the European Parliament over the scope and impact on the proposed EU ban on products made with forced labour.
What to expect from the next EU US TTC?
Brussels is gearing up for the 4th official meeting of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council – referred to by those in the know as ‘TT4’ – which will be held next week on 30-31 May in Luleå, Sweden. The TTC working groups are “reaching a stage where all the …