Why the ongoing free trade agreement negotiations between the European Union and Australia and New Zealand are turning to be more difficult than expected. Iana Dreyer and Shana Takoor.
Energy & Environment
Kleimann: A successful Article XX defence of the EU’s CBAM is not off the cards
As the dust settles on the Commission’s raft of climate proposals released last week (14 July), commentators and experts are now beginning to analyse them in depth and, in the case of the carbon border adjustment measure at least, assess its compatibility with the World Trade Organization rule-book and the …
Week in Brussels: Merkel DC, Ukraine raw materials partnership, review of a TSD action plan
There’s been a lot of big news in trade in Europe this week. Here a few more news items to take away before the week-end. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer.
Perspectives: Let’s carefully embrace ‘conditional’ trade
The European Union and United Kingdom are among those actively reconsidering the traditional links between trade policy and broader public policy objectives such as tackling climate change. While not without risks, conditioning access to one’s market on a trading partner addressing such global challenges seems the best way forward to …
IISD: Canada, EU should seek negotiated agreement on border carbon adjustment
Canada is preparing to introduce a carbon border adjustment measure whose contours are not yet known. Canada and the European Union vowed at a bilateral summit mid-June to “exchange on respective approaches to carbon pricing and WTO-compatible border carbon adjustments”. A think tank is now making concrete proposals on how …
Commission: CBAM “fully in line with international trade rules”
The European Commission says its proposed Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism complies with the World Trade Organization rule-book. The proposed regulation obliges EU importers of cement, electricity, fertilisers, iron & steel, and aluminium from third countries to purchase annual emission allowances. Their cost will depend on the degree of emissions embedded …
James Bacchus: The WTO simply must prove that it can do something, not just talk
James Bacchus spoke with Rob Francis about the European Union’s carbon border adjustment mechanism, trade in medicines and medical products, how the Biden Administration is progressing on trade policy – and the World Trade Organization in all this.
AEGIS Europe-commissioned legal study: ETS free allowances compatible with CBAM
Legal analysis commissioned by Aegis Europe, an industry alliance incorporating more than 20 European manufacturing associations , argues that continuing free CO2-emitting allowances within the EU’s emissions trading scheme and a carbon border adjustment mechanism are compatible with World Trade Organization rules. The studies carried out by to law firms …
EU, Energy Charter secretariat report progress in ECT modernisation process
The European Commission is seeking to convince sceptics on both sides of the debate on the future of the Energy Charter Treaty that negotiations to ‘modernise’ the body of rules that underpin it are making progress. And it seems that the negotiation process launched in 2020 is indeed gradually moving …
EU Turkey customs union upgrade conversation begins amidst CBAM concerns
Brussels and Ankara are sitting down for two days on Thursday and Friday (8 & 9 July) for the annual meeting of their 1995 EU Turkey customs union joint committee. Among others, they will re-start a conversation on modernising their trade arrangements.
