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EESC adds pressure on trade partners to respect ILO conventions
The European Economic and Social Committee adopted a resolution on Wednesday (14 February) calling on the EU to step up its efforts to give greater weight to labour and environment chapters in its free trade agreements.
EU trade in 2018: A preview
The year 2018 will offer a very narrow window of opportunity to bring key EU trade policy files forward.
EU and Mexico fail to conclude political agreement on trade deal
There will be no modernised trade deal with Mexico for Christmas. Despite having spent three days in Brussels, Mexican economy minister Ildefonso Guajardo hasn't managed to break the deadlock over the contentious outstanding issues, namely geographical indications and investment protection.
Mercosur and Mexico trade agreements: The quest for a sugar fix
There is intensive lobbying by European sugar beet growers against the prospect of widening of EU quotas for non-EU cane sugar as part of ongoing bilateral free trade negotiations. Yet it might only be a matter of time until the EU allows more import of cane sugar from outside the bloc.
Brazil in push to bring EU-Mercosur deal to conclusion
The EU and the South American bloc Mercosur are aiming to conclude their free trade negotiations by the end of 2017. Difficult bargaining lies ahead on bread-and-butter market access issues. A European tour by Brazil’s foreign minister Aloysio Nunes Ferreira this week is aiming at building political capital to that end.
MEPs slam labour rights in EU-Korea trade deal review
MEPs voted today (18 May) to support a motion for a resolution on the outcomes of a five-year-old free trade agreement with South Korea, which praises the agreement for its positive effect on trade and integration between the two countries. But it also calls on the Commission to act on labour right violations in the Asian country.
Ryan: Washington will ‘chart a path forward on TTIP’
The United States is ready to negotiate a new trade deal with the UK. It also continues to have plans for the European Union, said Paul Ryan, the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives.
MEPs fear EU cadmium restrictions could increase fertiliser import dependency
A Commission initiative to reduce cadmium contamination has landed on the international trade committee’s desk at the European Parliament. Some MEPs believe this move could decrease the choice of sources of fertiliser imports across the world and give countries like Russia too much market power.
Civil society makes final push to block EU-Canada trade deal
In a last-minute bid to block the EU-Canada trade agreement ahead of a crucial vote in the European Parliament on Wednesday (15 February), civil society organisations have campaigned to derail the fragile balance of support among MEPs. Euractiv's media partner Borderlex reports.
After Wallonia’s veto on CETA, 60 academics defend EU democracy in trade
EXCLUSIVE / After the near-death experience of CETA, the controversial EU-Canada trade deal that was almost toppled by a regional government in Belgium, a group of academics has come out to defend the European decision-making process in trade policy.
Parliament rejects motion to check CETA’s legality
The mainstream parties in the European Parliament have rejected by a large majority a motion initiated by 89 MEPs to submit the EU-Canada trade agreement – CETA – to the Court of Justice to check its compatibility with EU law.
EU, US negotiators officially drop aim of concluding TTIP in 2016
Negotiators on both sides of the Atlantic have clearly given up on the idea of concluding TTIP talks this year, despite progress achieved on the technical aspects of the negotiations.
EU-US trade talks stuck over bread-and-butter market access
Few expect significant breakthroughs at the EU-US 14th round of trade talks starting on Monday (11 July), as negotiations seem to be deadlocked over bread-and-butter market access.
Dreyer: Time is running out for TTIP deal
The EU and the US want to finish negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership in 2016 but despite substantial recent progress in the negotiations, TTIP is not ripe for conclusion this year, writes Iana Dreyer.
Avoiding a TTIP train wreck
The real goal of US and EU leaders and negotiators this week as they venture into a new round of negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is to avoid the talks turning into a train wreck. The...
EU importers calls for free trade deal with China
In a move that goes against the current political climate in the EU vis-à-vis China, the EU’s top association of retailers is calling for a free trade agreement with China.
EU in Latin America trade push
The EU is in a drive to deepen trade ties with Latin America. It is eager to do business with Cuba, and on the cusp of relaunching negotiations with Mercosur. We will soon start learning what some of the commercial stakes are, in key talks to be launched with Mexico and Chile.
Uncertain fate of trade deals in human rights limelight
A new legal world is emerging around the EU’s trade policy. Scrutiny over the compatibility of trade agreements with human rights is increasing under recent EU Ombudsman and Court of Justice moves regarding the new trade agreement with Vietnam, and a 2012 agriculture agreement with Morocco.
Does the new EU trade communication deserve to be called a ‘strategy’?
The new EU trade strategy, Trade For All, seeks to please everybody, but fails to confront the most difficult issues ahead of EU trade policy, argues Iana Dreyer.
As TPP nears final agreement, EU needs a pivot to Asia, experts say
The Transpacific Partnership (TPP) involving the United States and eleven other Asia-Pacific countries might be concluded this week. Trade pundits say now is the time for the EU to think big on its Asian market access strategy.