News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
Borderlex is pleased to partner with the Geneva-based Trade Policy Exchange for a fascinating conversation: how to make trade rules and the fight against climate change better compatible at the World Trade Organization. The event will feature Jim Bacchus from the Centre for Global Economic and Environmental Opportunity at the …
The United Kingdom has stepped into the complex world of WTO politics with the announcement that it is set to join the Ottawa Group – a loose coalition of nations seeking reform of the Organization – after months of working behind the scenes making its post-Brexit mark in Geneva. London’s …
Ambassadors to the World Trade Organization are meeting for an intensive two-day General Council meeting where few actual decisions are expected, except the most expedient: adoption of next year’s budget, and, if all goes well, a decision on Thursday (17 December) to ban export restrictions on food items purchased by …
Post-COVID 19 TRIPS campaigning intensifies NGOs such as Médecins Sans Frontières (the French ‘Doctors without Borders’ humanitarian organisation) are joining the campaign of developing countries led by India and South Africa at the WTO who are asking for sweeping flexibilities and/or a waiver on intellectual property rules. The aim is …
The Ottawa Group, an informal network of countries interested in discussing reforms at the World Trade Organization established in early 2019 is seeking improvements in the way trade in healthcare products is handled beyond the current COVID-19 pandemic. The signatories are eyeing a possible Joint Statement in early 2021, which …
A series of papers published by the think tank Europe Jacques Delors puts forward proposals that aim to strengthen environmental protection within an open international trading system. Borderlex’s Iana Dreyer exchanged views with one of the papers’ co-authors Geneviève Pons.
A subset of 23 World Trade Organization members formally launched an initiative on ‘trade and environment’ that could lead to concrete proposals to the institution at its next ministerial conference. Another initiative announced during this week’s WTO ‘Trade and Environment Week’ is a Chinese-led plastic waste “informal dialogue”.
UC Berkeley economist Joseph Shapiro is of the view that trade policy is “sending the wrong price signal” by bolstering trade in dirty goods in comparison to cleaner products, especially in Europe. Speaking to Borderlex’s Sarah Anne Aarup, Shapiro said that rather than raising trade barriers on dirty goods, focusing …
The European Commission circulated a paper to European Union member states on how it wants to approach ‘trade and sustainability’ in the World Trade Organization ahead of a member state meeting on the topic held on Monday. The key message: let’s go slow on trade and environment in the world …
The United States’s envoy to the World Trade Organization Dennis Shea poured cold water on any hopes – if there were any left – that this administration would enter into negotiations on reforming and restoring the institution’s Appellate Body.
