Trade & Society
Human rights, ecology should stand higher than business interests
The Bishops of Latin America are concerned that the EU is more prompt in negotiating new trade deals than ensuring the respect of basic human rights, when violated by companies who have their headquarters in Europe, writes Cardinal Pedro Barreto.
EU-Japan free trade deal threatens the fight for legal timber
While moves towards greater international cooperation are welcome, the EU’s growing number of new free trade deals must be scrutinised. And in the case of the Japan-EU free trade agreement, the deal’s impact on the fight against illegal timber is a pressing concern, writes Perrine Fournier.
Is it ‘the economy, stupid’ in the EU’s southern neighbourhood?
While trade wars threaten across the Atlantic, enhanced economic cooperation could be the key to stability in the EU’s southern neighbourhood.
EU must ban ivory trade, or risk becoming a pariah
An EU-wide ban on ivory trade is essential if the global trend to close down markets is to succeed in protecting elephants from poachers, argue Mark Jones and Joanna Swabe.
EU leaders head to China and Japan, seeking to restore global trade
After the turmoil of Trump in Brussels, EU leaders are in China and Japan today and tomorrow for two important summits, a sign that Europe is looking to Asia, writes Fraser Cameron.
Could EU-Indonesia free trade deal end palm oil conundrum?
As a new round of free trade negotiations between the European Union and Indonesia begins in Brussels, Perrine Fournier argues that improving forest governance should be central to any agreement.
Germany would not be the main victim of Trump’s car tariffs
In May 2018, Donald Trump commissioned the US Department of Commerce to investigate whether car imports constitute a threat to US national security. It would seem so according to figures, but that is no more than an excuse to impose tariffs, writes Dr Clemens Fuest.
China and EU can lead on climate action
An upcoming EU-China summit in Beijing will be yet another moment for both economies to show leadership on climate action, following the United States' surrender of influence under Donald Trump, writes Professor Zou Ji.
When China and the US quarrel, will Europe rejoice?
Now that the US has imposed a first wave of tariffs, Stefen Legge and Priotr Lukaszuk ponder whether the EU has become the standard bearer of multilateralism and free trade or whether it will it ultimately follow America's course of action.
EU should revive TTIP, retaliation only helps Trump’s re-election
The EU's Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström has made a cardinal error in opting to play US President Donald Trump at his own game and introducing tariffs on American products, argues Giles Merrit.
Mercosur: Don’t sacrifice our food standards and tropical forests for trade
The trade agreement currently being negotiated by the EU and Morcosur will increase poverty and accelerate the demise of European farmers by subjecting them to unfair competition, argue Perrine Fournier and Yannick Jadot.
EU should use due diligence in fisheries import
The European Parliament has adopted an initiative report this week about the conformity of fisheries products that have access to the EU market. The EU is the largest market for fish in the world and it may need to be even more vigilant to keep illegally caught fish from arriving in the EU indirectly, writes Linnéa Engström.Promoted content
ASEAN can show the way for Europe on Trade
From Kuala Lumpur, the global trading system currently resembles a high-stakes poker game played by giants – China, the US and the EU. ASEAN as a region feels almost like an outlier, writes Dato’ Lee Yeow Chor.
The EU is no progressive free trader: It’s exporting chronic diseases to Latin America
If the EU truly wants to be the global progressive trading power, it needs to make sure its trade policy does not promote ill-health, and instead makes a real contribution to the SDGs, writes George Thurley.
Europe should stand its ground after US Iran-deal pull out
The decision taken by US president Donald Trump to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal should propel Europeans to stand their ground and mark the beginning of a more independent role for Europe in the world, argues Cornelius Adebahr.
EU unable to contain explosion in unsustainable biodiesel imports
Imports of Argentine soy biodiesel, which are among the most unsustainable of biofuels, have exploded in recent months because the EU lost a trade case at the WTO, writes Kristina Wittkopp.
The EU had a great plan for Jordan – now it’s time to make it work
In order to help Syrian refugees, the EU must improve its deal with Jordan and deliver on its promise to boost Jordanian exports and refugee hiring, write Gideon Maltz & Cindy Huang.
A Pandora’s Box of headwinds for the UK’s global ambitions after Brexit
Despite the bombing of chemical weapon sites in Syria, along with France and the US, and the recent show of support from Western allies in the Skripal affair, Britain’s international clout will inexorably erode after Brexit, writes Pierre-Alain Coffinier.
The bigger EU problems hidden by Brexit
Brexit's focus on minutiae is an unnecessary distraction from the more pressing challenges Europe must meet. Unity is crucial to Europe's security and well-being, writes Giles Merritt.
Tariffs or no tariffs, the pickup in global trade won’t last
Slow trade growth will be the dominant feature of the world economy in the coming decade, not because of the latest tariffs, but because of a slowdown in three longer-term trends, write Ilaria Maselli and Ataman Ozyildirim.
China in Greenland: A call for deeper EU political engagement
Without a deeper political agenda, the EU might rapidly lose ground in Greenland to the benefit of China, write André Gattolin and Damien Degeorges.
How to save the transatlantic alliance
To save the transatlantic alliance, it is essential for the EU to deal with its internal problems in order to become a more reliable and credible partner for the US in the future, writes Fraser Cameron.
As Trump plays with fire, EU should lead on global trade
As America retreats after Trump's plans to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, the world is moving on. Now is the time for the EU to take the lead in maintaining the global trade system, writes Shada Islam.