The fourth meeting of the EU-US mega-talk shop called the Trade and Technology Council in Sweden has, in the eyes of most observers, been the most productive of them all so far. Although it hasn’t delivered on some big-ticket items, a slew of small deals and initiatives start revealing its …
Industrial policy & trade
EU, India eye semiconductor MoU
The EU and India agreed on a number of trade and investment policy cooperation topics for the next twelve months during their inaugural Trade and Technology Council meeting in Brussels on Tuesday. They are also aiming to conclude a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the semiconductors sector by September …
Week in Brussels: China and sovereignty on Europe Day, hazardous chemicals
Europe is becoming a new geopolitical battleground in the US China rivalry. Is it mere coincidence that China’s foreign minister Qin Gang was touring the European Union as the EU celebrated ‘Europe Day’ on Tuesday?
Week in Brussels: Forced labour ban, Mexico Global Agreement, trilogues
It was a big week in EU trade, with the adoption of the EU’s anti-coercion instrument and a speech by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen that is ruffling Chinese and some EU member state feathers. Oh and a deal with Kenya is on track. More below on some …
EU sharpens retaliatory toolbox against US, foreign green tech distortions
The European Commission is an expert in brokering political compromises over seemingly technocratic topics. And it delivered this week yet again. This time it is about the question of what to do about the Biden administration’s decision to pour billions into subsidising green technology investments to meet its net-zero climate …
EU trade minister Stockholm meeting: what to expect
EU trade ministers will gather outside Stockholm at the end of this week at a time when trade appears to be rising to the top of the political agenda once again in Europe.
THINK TANK: Multilateralism worth saving
The WTO says multilateralism has helped keep the food price crisis in check after the war in Ukraine. And the think tank Bruegel chimes in with its own report on how the EU should respond to US green subsidies.
Week in Brussels: Ukraine, Australia, Chips Act
It’s been an intense week on trade in Brussels, with more action on the Ukrainian trade front, progress to report on Indonesia and Australia trade accords and a major piece of industrial policy legislation, the EU Chips Act, making headway. By Rob Francis with a little bit of input from …
Interview: EU Chips Act is yesterday’s answer to tomorrow’s problems
The Russian war in Ukraine, the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, and current geopolitical tensions are shining a light on countries’ economic and strategic dependencies, and no more so than on the supply of semiconductors. In response, the European Commission last year put forward its “Chips Act”, which promises €42 …
Blog : More of the same? On the EU’s Green Deal Industrial Plan
Those in the trade policy world who are looking for some big bang announcement from the European Commission as part of its ‘response’ to the United States Inflation Reduction Act will be disappointed – or relieved, depending on their point of view. The Green Deal Industrial Plan, a leaked version …