This is proving to be a very long Friday for EU trade as everyone awaits the results of an EU-US negotiation over the US Inflation Reduction Act and as EU trade ministers discuss the trade agenda in Stockholm today. We will revert to these two separately. Meanwhile here is what …
Canada and CETA
German parliament approves CETA
Germany is the first among the ‘big’ EU member states to be on track to ratify the trade agreement with Canada commonly known as CETA. The country’s parliament’s ratification approval today comes after years of domestic debate and many misgivings in Germany about the trade agreement – in particular its …
Irish supreme court ruling says CETA ratification requires referendum
The Supreme Court of Ireland today ruled that the EU’s trade agreement with Canada cannot be ratified without a referendum. But it also said that a referendum could be avoided if the Irish parliament agrees to make certain amendments to the Irish 2010 arbitration act.
War in Ukraine revives European interest in CETA
The director-general of the European Commission’s trade directorate Sabine Weyand said there is a “new dynamism” in Europe when it comes to ratifying CETA, the landmark trade and investment agreement between the European Union and Canada. “The geopolitical situation has changed the debate on trade policy,” said the commission’s top …
Week in Brussels: Cheers to diversification
Diversification of trade destinations and sources seems to have been on top of minds in the EU this week. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer.
Week in Brussels: EU-US, exports, Indo-Pacific, CETA
This rentrée week’s developments in EU trade policy herald an intense autumn.
EU, Canada clinch architect qualification recognition deal
The EU and Canada finalised negotiations towards a mutual recognition agreement of professional qualifications for architects. It took them five years to fulfil the pledge included in the text of their free trade agreement CETA, which has been in force provisionally since September 2017.
Dutch Senate approves CETA ratification
Today, the Dutch Senate approved a law allowing The Netherlands to sign and ratify the whole EU-Canada trade agreement CETA – including its investment protection part – after years of fierce national debate on its merits.
Germany takes steps to ratify trade agreement with Canada
Germany took a significant step this week towards ratifying the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the publication of a legislative proposal on Tuesday followed by a debate in the German parliament two days later.
Week in Brussels: Germany set for CETA, CBAM controversy, Pakistan, Kazakhstan
It’s been another big week in EU trade. The European Parliament has now a position on carbon border adjustment, and climate and labour conditionality in free trade agreements is about to get much much tougher. But there are even more big news – as seen below. By Rob Francis and …