Season’s greetings from Borderlex and a happy, prosperous and peaceful year 2020! We are refuelling energy for a few days and will be back in the early days of Januray to track trade policy developments for you.
Non classé
Borderlex is in recess until 23 August 2019
We will covered major urgent news in this period as required.
In brief: Habemus EU US negotiating mandates
France voted against, Belgium abstained. More on transatlantic relations throughout this week. Our latest EU-US pieces here.
Flash: Super-majority for new EU investment screening mechanism in European Parliament
The European Parliament overwhelmingly voted in favour of a new ‘screening’ mechanism for foreign direct investments. The new regulation mainly enables information sharing among member states on investments into sectors deemed sensitive through a mechanism coordinated by the European Commission. The aim is to watch investments that could jeopardise security …
Flash: Advocate General says CETA investment court compatible with EU law
More analysis shortly. Here the announcement.
Flash: Trade committee gives green light to Singapore trade and investment pacts
The European Parliament’s international trade committee voted in favour of the EU Singapore trade agreement and a separate investment protection agreement this morning in Brussels. The majority for the two deals was comparatively low, with 25 MEPs voting in favour of the trade pact and 11 against. Votes for the …
Commentary: Italy’s new government risks undermining EU unity on trade and investment
Italy’s new coalition government is pushing a protectionist agenda that puts national sovereignty at the centre and may well set the country on a collision course with Brussels, Berlin and Paris, argues Nicola Casarini. The new government in Rome is promoting ‘Italy First’, a set of policies that may undermine …
Flash: Japan summit, Brexit White Paper postponed
The EU Japan summit due to be held tomorrow in Brussels was postponed to 17 July and will take place in Tokyo. The signing ceremony of the EU Japan Economic Partnership Agreement will take place then. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is held up in Japan due to damaging floods. …
Beyond Brussels: ‘Winds of change are blowing’ on WTO rules, Wolff says
Initiatives and discussions involving large groups of countries on issues such as electronic commerce and investment facilitation signal that global trade rules are set for a revamp, says Alan Wolff, deputy director-general of the World Trade Organization. “The WTO rulebook very likely will be updated to address current and …
Comment: TSD chapters in EU FTAs – fig leaf or necessary tool for SDGs?
The European Commission has released a ‘non-paper’ on how to bolster so-called trade and sustainable development chapters in EU free trade agreements. The EU’s aim is to improve and strengthen the current dialogue- and cooperation-based approach in enforcing labour and environment provisions in FTAs, and to introduce a stronger …
