WTO issues, sustainability, trade defence have dominated the picture in trade policy in Brussels this week. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer.
Social & human rights
Von der Leyen confirms EU intention to ban imports of products made with forced labour
The European Commission will propose a ban on products made with forced labour, as announced today by its president Ursula Von Der Leyen during her annual State of the Union address in the European Parliament in Strasbourg today. Von der Leyen also announced a new digital connectivity strategy called Digital …
Labour, environment in Australia, New Zealand trade talks meet policy sovereignty hurdles
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.
Week in Brussels: EP in Washington, ISDS Advisory Centre, TSD chapter consultation
Trade policy activity is quieting down somewhat in Brussels ahead of the usual summer lull. Here nonetheless some interesting trade policy highlights for you. Iana Dreyer and Nikos Lavranos.
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 …
European Union to ban imports of products made with forced labour
The European Commission is planning to introduce legislation that would ban imports containing inputs produced with forced labour in situations where company due diligence alone cannot do the job.
EU edging closer to granting Uzbekistan GSP Plus trade status
It’s been a long journey for Uzbekistan. The Central Asian country remains one of the world’s most closed and politically repressive countries, but it embarked on a new journey in 2016 after the passing away of Islam Karimov, a particularly cruel dictator. The five-year reform process might lead the country …
MEPs vote on supply chain due diligence report
The European Parliament is taking a stand on what it wants from EU-wide ‘corporate due diligence’ ahead of legislation that the European Commission is yet to table in a report drafted by Lara Wolters, a Dutch MEP from the S&D group. The report is 79 pages long, has a record …
Interview: Pursuing the bigger picture in Asia
Now that the European Union has inked an investment agreement with China it needs to take a big-picture geopolitical approach to the rest of the Asian region and a forward-looking approach to transatlantic relations, argues Reinhard Bütikofer in an interview with Borderlex.
