News

Despite the difficult global economic climate, European companies have continued to make good use of the opportunities created by the EU’s trade network. In 2018 this network covered 31% of Europe’s trade exchanges, a figure that is set to rise significantly (to almost 40%) as more trade agreements enter into force, according to the European Commission’s annual report on the implementation of trade agreements released on Monday. Overall, trade accounts for 35% of the EU’s gross domestic product (GDP).

EU Trade Commissioner, Cecilia Malmström, writes on the UN's International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (26 June), that the best way to honour victims and survivors is to take real action to end the practice globally. To that end, the world needs binding global rules prohibiting trade in instruments whose sole purpose is to inflict pain and suffering on humans.

On 18 January Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and United States Trade Representative Michael Froman published a joint assessment of the progress made in the negotiations for a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) since negotiations started in July 2013.

On 21 December the European Commission asked the Council for a mandate to launch talks with Turkey to modernise the existing 20-year-old EU-Turkey Customs Union.

On 1 December, the European Parliament voted, with a 375-220 majority, to give its consent to the interim Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and Ghana. In a statement, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström welcomed the decision.

"As co-chairs of this weekend's EGA Ministerial, the United States and the European Union worked with all WTO members involved to achieve the broadest possible consensus through creative solutions to bridge the gaps in the negotiations…

On 6 December the EU co-hosted, together with the OECD, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, an event aiming to define practical ways to ensure sustainability in the international garment and footwear supply chains.

The draft final report of the Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is now available for consultation. In this draft you will be able to provide comments on the findings of the study as well as the recommendations of the independent experts. Further details about the project can be found on the dedicated website managed by the external contractor carrying out this SIA.

European Union, Colombian and Peruvian officials from the Trade and Sustainable Development Sub-Committee under the EU-Colombia-Peru trade agreement will debrief civil society representatives on the outcome of their meeting and matters related to implementation of the Title on Trade and Sustainable Development of the agreement, covering in particular labour and environment issues related to trade.

The European Commission presented a proposal for a new method for calculating dumping on imports from countries where there are significant market distortions, or where the state has a pervasive influence on the economy. The purpose is to make sure that Europe has trade defence instruments that are able to deal with current realities – notably overcapacities – in the international trading environment, while fully respecting the EU's international obligations in the legal framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The European Commission, through its EU-GCC trade and business cooperation facility, and in cooperation with the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) and the Saudi Council of Chambers, will organise the second EU-GCC business forum on 9-10 January 2017 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The forum will promote EU investments in the region, with a specific focus on infrastructure, transport and sustainable urban development. In parallel to the second forum, the EU is holding a high-level roundtable with high-ranking Saudi officials including ministers for commerce and investment, transport, or economic planning, and the governor of SAGIA, as well as the chairman of the Public Investment Fund. This roundtable will be the first opportunity to discuss the investment opportunities for EU businesses arising from the Saudi National Transformation Plan, but also the barriers to investment currently faced by EU investors.

On 13 October the EU appealed the findings of the WTO panel assessing the EU compliance with an earlier ruling in the EU-US dispute over support to the European aircraft manufacturer, Airbus.

The 15th round of EU-US trade talks will take place in New York from Monday 3 to Friday 7 October 2016. Both EU and US Chief Negotiators will take a break from the talks to brief the stakeholders on the update of negotiations. The event will take place on Wednesday, 5 October.

The European Commission welcomes the European Parliament’s vote on Wednesday to approve an agreement granting duty-free access to the EU for products from Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana, Swaziland and Lesotho, and improved market access for South Africa.

On 9 September the European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström Tallinn met Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas to discuss the state of play of talks on a EU-US free trade agreement (TTIP) and of the EU’s other trade negotiations, as well as the situation in the European neighborhood.

The College discussed the political, economic and legal implications resulting from the expiry on 11 December 2016 of some provisions in China’s Protocol of Accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and what consequences to draw from this.

As part of its enforcement of international trade rules, the Commission services have concluded two examinations under the EU’s Trade Barriers Regulation (TBR): one concerning Saudi Arabia´s measures restricting market access to EU ceramic tiles, and one concerning Mexico’s measure affecting Tequila exports to the EU. The Trade Barriers Regulation is part of the Commission enforcement efforts in the area of international trade rules. The Trade Barriers Regulation is one of several EU instruments available to enforce trade rules, alongside the new complaints mechanism under the Single Entry Point of DG Trade, and the possibility for the Commission to decide on its own (ex officio) to initiate investigations into possible infringements of market access rights or TSD commitments by third countries. The “Working Approaches to Implementation and Enforcement Work” guideline document sets out how these different instruments and working approaches are articulated in the Commission’s trade enforcement work.