The Energy Charter Treaty needs to make a success of its ongoing modernisation process in the coming five years, writes Urban Rusnák.
Energy & Environment
Week in Brussels: Uzbekistan, palm oil
It’s been a slow start after Easter, but the trade policy machinery in Brussels is gradually getting back into gear. Turkey Only a few weeks into calmer waters a new storm broke out in the EU-Turkey relationship. While the news is about about protocol matters and Sofa Gate, one of …
Towards a climate club
For the EU’s ambitious climate policy to be successful, the EU must join forces with as many international partners as possible in a climate club. In this club members agree on a minimum price for CO2 emissions, trade freely amongst themselves, but apply a carbon border adjustment mechanism – or …
Week in Brussels: Vaccines, China, CAI, Taiwan, Energy Charter Treaty
As widely anticipated, the European Union extended on Thursday its export authorisation scheme for COVID-19 vaccines produced by firms with a procurement contract from the EU until the end of June 2021. The move comes amidst controversies over who among the continental EU and the ‘Anglos’ are greater vaccine nationalists. …
‘Climate First’ European Parliament CBAM report watered down by free CO2 emission allowance vote
The European Parliament voted by a large majority on a report on a coming European Union ‘carbon border adjustment measure’ at a time when the United States and the EU are pulling out feelers to gauge the scope for joint global climate cooperation. The message rapporteur from the Greens group …
ECJ Advocate General: Intra-EU Energy Charter Treaty investor-state arbitration is illegal
The European Court of Justice’s Advocate General Szpunar opined that the investor-state arbitration system under the Energy Charter Treaty is not applicable within the European Union. This will further increase the pressure on the ongoing ECT modernisation process and might very well herald the end of the ECT within the EU.
France pours cold water on idea of swift EU Mercosur pact ratification
France is holding the key cards among European Union member states in having the long-awaited EU Mercosur trade pact ratified – perhaps one day – in Europe.
Week in Brussels: EU wants fossil fuels out of ECT, anti-coercion, 4 new TDI cases, UK data adequacy
It’s been an eventful week, dominated by the new EU trade strategy or Trade Policy Review. Below, other important developments…
European Commission eyes new FTA chapter on sustainable food systems
The European Commission is rolling out a new sustainable farming strategy as part of its Green Deal. That policy, like many other EU policies before, is set to spill over into the EU’s trade policy.
Malaysia launches WTO dispute against EU’s renewable fuels directive
Malaysia has followed its neighbour Indonesia in taking WTO action against the European Union’s renewable fuel directive, in a fresh challenge to the legitimacy of Brussels’ flagship biofuels programme.
