EU-UK divorce deal: What (not) to replicate in future EU trade policy
While the EU-UK trade & cooperation deal is a very specific one, building on a formerly integrated consumer market, wider EU trade policy can draw lessons from it.
Want to build an international investment court that won’t go up in flames? Fix the underlying system!
Whether or not you are a trade aficionado or aficionada, you have likely noticed the glaring headlines about free trade deals between the European Union and Canada or the United States. A root cause of the controversy around these deals...
Why privacy safeguards in trade deals need urgent improvement
The EU and 22 other countries are closing in on a huge deal to liberalise trade in services. One of the few pending issues in this Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) is the question of how to make sure trade...
Listen up European Commission! Parliament issues strong message on services trade deal
Unnoticed by most, the European Union is negotiating a major agreement on trade in services. It brings together 22 countries plus the EU, and lines up huge players including the United States, Japan and Canada. Its aim is to liberalise...
Lessons to learn from TPP: What the EU shouldn’t do in TTIP
What is TPP? TPP stands for the Trans-Pacific Partnership and it is the most important free trade agreement ever negotiated. It covers a vast number of sectors and involves 12 countries in the Pacific[1] region, including the United States (US)....
Fighting antimicrobial resistance in TTIP: ups and downs
What is antimicrobial resistance and why it is important for consumers? Every year in the EU is it estimated that antibiotic resistant bacteria kill at least 25,000 people. These bacteria can withstand antibiotics, which means antibiotics have no effect whatsoever....
Postponing the European Parliament’s TTIP resolution is not what consumers want to hear
The European Parliament has been working for months on its recommendations to the Commission on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations. No less than 14 committees were involved. At the last minute, the vote was postponed. In this...