News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Saturday, June 19, 2021
Chris Horseman and Robert Francis on the latest developments in the two critical negotiations at the WTO on fisheries subsidies and on intellectual property. Plans for revised compromise text as WTO fish talks enter end-game A fresh revised text of the planned WTO agreement on fisheries subsidies is expected to …
It’s busy in Geneva these days. An overview of some of the latest developments by Robert Francis and Iana Dreyer.
An overview of notable recent developments at the World Trade Organization focusing on fish subsidy talks, e-commerce negotiations and trade and health.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala nominated four deputy directors-general to help steer the secretariat and the organisation’s membership.
China joins Trade and Health Initiative It’s gone almost unnoticed, but the Ottawa-Group sponsored ‘trade and healthcare’ initiative is officially expanding, with China joining the group, alongside Hong Kong, Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia and the United Kingdom. The announcement was made official in a communication circulated on 22 April …
The WTO currently comes across as being in a transition. This is predictable at a time of leadership change and renewal at its secretariat. The new director-geneal is interviewing candidates for the post of deputy DG, is pushing the fish-subsidies agenda and potentially steering the WTO institution into a new …
There is clearly more activity at the World Trade Organization than last year – probably even than the year before last. With a new director-general now in office, a date for the next ministerial meeting all set and hope for a more cooperative US administration, this is the time when …
A warning, this column lets off some steam…
It’s turning out to be a busy week at the WTO. WTO community worried by EU vaccine export restrictions It’s as if the WTO secretariat were trolling the European Union. The four deputy directors-general currently running the institution issued a statement on Monday, calling for international cooperation in vaccine production. …
The only thing that is certain in this beginning of the year at the World Trade Organization – a body that is yet awaiting the nomination of its next director-general – is that many members disagree. So they file legal disputes.
