The three European Union institutions finalised negotiations to expand the scope of its dual-use export control regime to cybersurveillance technology with the aim of protecting human rights.
Regulations
EU institutions conclude deal on trade enforcement
The European Union will very soon have a revamped ‘enforcement regulation’, a hitherto hardly known legal instrument that allows the bloc to retaliate against countries contravening international trade norms and not cooperating in legal disputes and thus protect itself against ‘appeals into the void’ at the World Trade Organization. The …
Week in Brussels: Cyber, Ireland, Paris Agreement, Netherlands, cocoa
If you think a second wave of COVID-19 lockdowns is nigh, think twice: trade policy activity has never been so busy since European Union countries shut down or went into slow motion last March to await the passing of the pandemic at home. Online or offline: a lot is happening! …
Enforcement regulation trilogue: institutions still wide apart
Views on what should be included in the coming revamp of a trade ‘enforcement regulation’ tabled by the European Commission late last year are still wide apart.
EU dual-use export control regime overhaul makes headway
European institutions hope they can soon finalise long drawn-out negotiations to expand the scope of the European Union’s 2009 dual-use item export control regulation to cover cyber-surveillance and human rights abuses. The latest version of the regulation foresees room to introduce restrictions on exports in emerging technologies.
MEPs can’t wait for new EU supply chain legislation
The European Parliament can’t wait to shape European Union-wide legislation on supply chain resilience and sustainability post COVID-19. Public opinion pressure on politicians has led France to introduce legislation obliging its multinational companies to observe due diligence in the area of human rights. About ten countries in the EU, including …
Marie-Pierre Vedrenne: Defending your trade interests is not protectionism
In a conversation with Borderlex’s Iana Dreyer, MEP Marie-Pierre Vedrenne explains her thinking behind her widely-endorsed report that could turn the EU’s trade retaliatory ‘bazooka’ into something even bigger.
MEPs vote for more retaliation powers as trade tensions with US mount
Trade is now a matter for the boxing ring. This is at least the message the press received from an emailed statement of the centre-right European People’s Party office on Monday ahead of a vote on European Union plans to strengthen its legal powers to ‘retaliate’ in the face of …
Commission mulls new measures to respond to Section 301-style unilateral trade actions
The European Commission clearly fears the European Parliament could sabotage its attempt at getting an amended so-called ‘enforcement regulation’ up and running quickly. The EU wants to upgrade its legal arsenal to be able to respond to situations where a country blocks legal proceedings in the World Trade Organization’s Appellate …
EU initiates plan to control foreign subsidies on its soil
The Commission unveiled long-awaited plans to weed out foreign companies investing in Europe that benefit from subsidies from their home government which could distort competition in the European Union’s single market. The fundamental aim is to have foreign operators broadly comply with the EU’s stringent state aid regime. The move …
