The European Commission obtained very little from Washington in terms of concessions on the Inflation Reduction Act this week. There is in fact, little the EU can do to see the United States change course. In many ways the whole diplomatic episode around US clean tech subsidies that began in …
Internal EU politics
EU trade ministers eye export control coordination
An overview of what trade ministers discussed at their informal gathering today in Stockholm.
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.
Week in Brussels: Swedish EU presidency, India FTA, Singapore digital deal, Chile FTA text, Russia sanctions
Below, a few key developments in EU trade this week as we await the outcome of a jumbo-trilogue on the EU’s climate package that will decide on the final shape of the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer.
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.
Mercosur FTA: EU readies for environmental annex
The centre-left Socialists and Democrats group want the European Parliament to be involved in scrutinising the additional instrument on sustainability which will be attached to the EU-Mercosur trade agreement. Speaking in a meeting of the parliament’s delegation to Brazil on Thursday (10 November), Kathleen Van Brempt, who also sits on …
Week in Brussels: Israel, Vietnam, TSD
We are entering the thick of the autumn and trade policy activity is at its highest for many months in Brussels.
State of the Union: von der Leyen announces FTA push
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen pledged to put forward for ratification the EU’s trade agreements with Chile, Mexico, and New Zealand. During her annual state of the union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg today, the head of the EU executive also said that current trade negotiations …
Energy crisis: EU needs to emphasise ‘strategic’ in its autonomy agenda
Governments are facing tough decisions as rising energy prices threaten household and business budgets alike. This is a crisis of modern trade requiring serious consideration of what EU economic security means, and how trade policy should be adjusted accordingly.