EU Promoting Workers’ Rights in Myanmar (07/10/2016)

The second Stakeholders Forum of the joint Initiative to Promote Fundamental Labour Rights and Practices in Myanmar took place on 30 September in Yangon, Myanmar. Representatives of the EU, the government of Myanmar and others discussed with social partners and other players progress made so far and the way forward towards achieving the initiative’s objectives.

Cecilia Malmström hosts conference in Bratislava on EU trade policy (29/09/2016)

The conference on ‘EU Trade Agreements in Practice – Making Trade Work for You’ brought together over 170 Stakeholders from business, the European Parliament, trade unions and civil society exchanged ideas on EU trade and investment policy and what it means for growth and jobs. In the final session, Commissioner Malmström was joined by Canadian Minister for International Trade Chrystia Freeland for a discussion on putting progressive trade policy into practice. Videos of the proceedings are available online.

Commission proposes modernising and strengthening controls on exports of dual-use items (28/09/2016)

The European Union has proposed to strengthen controls on exports of certain goods and technologies that – in addition to legitimate civilian applications – may also be misused for severe human rights violations, terrorist acts or the development of weapons of mass destruction. A main element of today's proposal is a new "human security" dimension in export controls, to prevent human rights violations associated with certain cyber-surveillance technologies.

Commissioner Malmström participates in Citizens’ Dialogue in Budapest (29/09/2016)

On 27 September Commissioner Malmström engaged in open discussions with students and members of the public, as well as representatives of Hungarian civil society, non-governmental organisations and businesses. Discussions were mainly about trade negitiations with the US (TTIP) and with Canada (CETA).

15th Round Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Negotiations (29/09/2016)

The 15th EU-US trade talks will take place from 3 to 7 October in New York. Information to the stakeholders will include a briefing by the chief negotiators and a conference call for the press at the close of the week.

WTO Issues a Report on EU Compliance with Airbus Case Ruling (22/09/2016)

On 22 September the WTO issued the compliance panel report in the Airbus case between the EU and the US.

20th round of talks for a Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) this week in Geneva (22/09/2016)

The 20th round of talks for a Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) is taking place this week in Geneva under the US chairmanship. The objective, as stated by ministers of all 23 involved partners at their meeting in Paris last June, is to conclude TiSA negotiations possibly by the end of 2016. To this end, the discussions this week will aim to bring the draft text of the agreement closer to its final wording in areas such as financial services, telecommunication, e-commerce, temporary movement of natural persons as services providers (known as 'Mode 4'), requirements as regards localisation of service providers and transparency. Negotiators will also discuss institutional provisions and annexes to the agreement specific to transport, delivery services, professional services and state-owned enterprises. The round also provides an opportunity to discuss market access provisions and this both in a plenary and bilateral setting.

16th round of negotiations for an agreement on environmental goods this week in Geneva (22/09/2016)

The 16th round of negotiations for an agreement on environmental goods is taking place this week in Geneva. Early September this year, the G20 Leaders endorsed "landing zones" for the negotiations and confirmed their intention to conclude the talks before the end of the year. The work focuses on narrowing down the selection of products to be covered by the agreement in order to prepare for an informal EGA Ministerial in Oslo in the end of October.

First round of talks on the Free Trade Agreement launched between the EU and Indonesia (22/09/2016)

On 20 and 21 September negotiators from the EU and Indonesia met in Brussels for the first round of talks on the Free Trade Agreement officially launched on 18 July 2016. The discussions covered a wide range of the issues at stake, such as tariffs, rules of origin, services and investment, public procurement, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary issues, intellectual property rights, sustainable development related issues and trade remedies. Both sides reconfirmed their resolve to conclude an ambitious agreement that will deepen the trade and investment relationship between the EU and Indonesia. The discussions paved the way to prepare a comprehensive full round of negotiations that will take place in Indonesia early 2017.

Economic Partnership Agreement with Southern African countries (22/09/2016)

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.

15th Round Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Negotiations (22/09/2016)

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.

CETA: statement by the European Commissioner for Trade and Canada’s Minister of International Trade (22/09/2016)

On 18 September Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Trade, and Chrystia Freeland, Minister of International Trade, released a statement.

Cecilia Malmström hosts conference in Bratislava on making trade agreements work (22/09/2016)

On 22 September the European Union’s Trade Commissioner, Cecilia Malmström, travelled to Slovakia to host a conference entitled EU Trade Agreements in Practice: Making Trade Work for You.

EU Trade Commissioner in Belgian Parliament on CETA and other trade agreements (22/09/2016)

On 20 September, Cecilia Malmström spoke with members of the Belgian federal parliament. She outlined the importance of trade for the Belgian economy and CETA in particular.

Commissioner Malmström meets civil society organisations in Brussels on CETA (22/09/2016)

Ahead of this week’s meeting of EU Trade Ministers in Bratislava, Commissioner Malmström participated in a Civil Society Dialogue on the benefits for citizens of CETA, where over 130 organisations registered to participate.

European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström visits Tallinn (15/09/2016)

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.

Malmström and Froman discuss TTIP progress, next round (15/09/2016)

On 15 September EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström met with US Trade Representative Michael Froman in Brussels to take stock of the ongoing negotiations on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

Commissioner Malmström addresses Austrian Parliament Hearing on CETA (15/09/2016)

On 14 September EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström visited Austria’s National Council - the lower house of Parliament - for a hearing on EU trade policy including the EU’s agreement with Canada, or CETA.

EPA EU – CÔTE D'IVOIRE : provisional application (07/09/2016)

The Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and Côte d'Ivoire entered into provisional application on 3 September 2016 following ratification by the Parliament of Côte d'Ivoire on 12 August 2016 and notification to the Council of the European Union. The agreement was approved by the European Parliament on 25 March 2009. This trade and development agreement was negotiated as a ’stepping stone’ towards the conclusion of a regional EPA with West Africa.

Kenya and Rwanda sign the regional Economic Partnership Agreement (07/09/2016)

On 1 September, Kenya, Rwanda, the EU Council Presidency and the European Commission signed the Economic Partnership Agreement between the East African Community and the EU. EU Member States already signed this EPA after approving it in June. The signature process is ongoing with signatures from Uganda, Burundi and Tanzania still to be completed.

Conference: EU Trade Agreements in Practice – Making Trade Work for You (22/09/2016)

EU Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström is hosting a conference on ‘EU Trade Agreements in Practice – Making Trade Work for You’. The event will bring together a broad spectrum of high-level speakers. Stakeholders from business, trade unions and civil society, as well as Members of the European Parliament will have the opportunity to have an exchange of ideas on EU trade and investment policy and what it means for growth and jobs. In the final session, Commissioner Malmström will be joined by Canadian Minister for International Trade Chrystia Freeland for a discussion on putting progressive trade policy into practice.

China Lifts Anti-dumping Duty on European Stainless Steel Tubes (01/09/2016)

On 22 August 2016 China removed the additional duties for imports from the EU of high-precision stainless steel seamless tubes (HP-SSST).

EU requests WTO panel over Colombia’s discrimination against imported spirits (01/09/2016)

On 22 August 2016 the EU requested the establishment of a WTO panel to rule on a dispute concerning Colombia’s discriminatory treatment of imported spirits.

EU wins a WTO dispute on Russian pork ban (01/09/2016)

On 19 August 2016 a World Trade Organization (WTO) panel declared illegal the Russian import ban on live pigs, fresh pork and other pig products from the EU in the light of international trade rules. The ruling concerns a ban imposed by Russia in early 2014 because of a limited number of cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) in areas in the EU close to the border with Belarus.

EU Trade Agreements in Practice - Making Trade Work for You (04/09/2016)

Interested in how trade can act as a motor for job creation? Or the role of integrated value chains and spill over effects? Or maybe you wonder whether EU trade policy is a threat or opportunity for small businesses and workers? If so, why not sign up for our conference on EU Trade Agreements in Practice - Making Trade Work for You. 22 September 2016, Bratislava, Slovakia Registration open until 5 September 2016.

EPA EU-Cameroon: Cameroon kicks off liberalisation of EU products (17/08/2016)

After Cameroon’s President Paul Biya signed the decree on rules of origin for imported European goods, Cameroon kicked off liberalisation of 1750 tariff lines on 4 August. The gradual liberalisation of this first product list should be completed in 2020.

The WTO has confirmed Russian import duties violate WTO rules (17/08/2016)

In a ruling circulated on 12 August, a WTO panel confirmed that Russian import duties on EU exports of paper, refrigerators and palm oil violate WTO rules. The import duties exceed those Russia agreed to when it joined the WTO. This is the first case ever decided in the WTO against Russia.

Sustainable trade: EU Report highlights pressing need for further Action by the Bangladeshi Authorities to improve labour conditions in the garment sector (17/08/2016)

On 5 August the European Commission released its third annual report on progress achieved in the Bangladeshi garment sector through the Sustainability Compact for Bangladesh – an international response to the 2013 tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza factory complex.

Conference: EU Trade Agreements in Practice – Making Trade Work for You (22/09/2016)

EU Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström is hosting a conference on ‘EU Trade Agreements in Practice – Making Trade Work for You’. The event will bring together a broad spectrum of high-level speakers. Stakeholders from business, the European Parliament, trade unions and civil society will have the opportunity to have an exchange of ideas on EU trade and investment policy and what it means for growth and jobs.

Public notice on 5th Pharma Review (04/08/2016)

The EU is part of a pharmaceutical arrangement with the US, Japan, Canada, Switzerland, Norway and Macao, which provides duty-free treatment to pharmaceutical products and to their ingredients from its members. The list of products covered is to be reviewed. Companies wanting to propose products for the review are invited to contact DG TRADE by 15 September.

College orientation debate on the treatment of China in anti-dumping investigations (04/08/2016)

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.

Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) in support of the negotiations to establish an Investment Agreement between the EU and China (04/08/2016)

The SIA China study team is pleased to announce that stakeholder surveys are online. By means of this survey you get the chance to share with the study team and the negotiators your experiences, expectations and concerns regarding current investment in China or the EU, and the future EU-China Investment Agreement. The survey is available in both English and Chinese and will be open until Friday 14 October 2016.

College orientation debate on the treatment of China in anti-dumping investigations (20/07/2016)

On 20 July, the College of Commissioners 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 Organisation (WTO) and what consequences to draw from this. This discussion was on whether, and if so how, the EU should change the treatment of China in anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations after December 2016.

EU takes again legal action against export restrictions on Chinese raw materials (20/07/2016)

China currently imposes a set of export restrictions, including export duties and export quotas that limit access to these products for companies outside China. The EU is focusing on restrictions concerning graphite, cobalt, copper, lead, chromium, magnesia, talcum, tantalum, tin, antimony and indium.

EU and Indonesia Launch Bilateral Trade Talks (20/07/2016)

Both sides agreed to negotiate an ambitious agreement that will make trade and investment easier and which will cover a broad range of issues, including customs duties and other barriers to trade, services and investment, access to public procurement markets, as well as competition rules and protection of intellectual property rights. The first round of negotiations is expected to take place later in 2016.

14th TTIP Round summarised by EU Chief Negotiator (20/07/2016)

Read the conclusions of the 14th TTIP round of negotiations that took place between 11 and 15 July 2016 in Brussels.

European Commission publishes additional documents on the occasion of the 14th TTIP negotiation round (14/07/2016)

The 14th round of EU-US trade talks is taking place this week in Brussels. The European Commission has exchanged information with a wide range of stakeholders who explained their views on TTIP related-issues. The lead negotiators then debriefed them on the status of the negotiations. The Commission also published additional negotiation texts on several issues, in line with its ongoing transparency commitment.

EU Trade Commissioner in China urges deeper global and bilateral trade and investment ties (14/07/2016)

During her four day stay, Commissioner Malmström delivered a speech at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, in which she stressed the benefits that the EU-China relationship had brought to both sides. Malmström attended the G20 meeting, during which trade ministers aimed to agree for an Environmental Goods Agreement that eliminates tariffs on a broad range of environmental goods. The Commissioner also attended the EU-China Summit, together with Commission President Juncker. She also gave a speech to business leaders at the EU-China Business Summit.

EU Trade Agreements in Practice - Making Trade Work for You (22/09/2016)

Interested in how trade can act as a motor for job creation? Or the role of integrated value chains and spill over effects? Or maybe you wonder whether EU trade policy is a threat or opportunity for small businesses and workers? If so, why not sign up for our conference on EU Trade Agreements in Practice - Making Trade Work for You. 22 September 2016, Bratislava, Slovakia Registration open until 22 July 2016

Commission launches new anti-dumping investigations into several steel products (14/07/2016)

The European Commission has opened new anti-dumping investigations to determine whether imports of three steel products originating in Brazil, Iran, Russia, Serbia and Ukraine have been dumped on the EU market. If this is found to be the case, the Commission will take measures to protect the European industry from damaging effects of unfair trade.