Policy Priorities
International Trade

The Alliance is seeking an open EU and global trade agenda that benefits all stakeholders. We continue to support the European Commission’s work to secure fair market access at both multilateral and bilateral levels, and to negotiate Free Trade Agreements with key commercial partners.

We support simple and effective of Rules of Origin to improve use of trade agreements and ensure optimal benefit to all trading partners. We contribute to identifying and resolving technical barriers to trade.

Related News

Japan: Renewed expectations, progress hinges on CJEU decision on mixed agreements

| The Japanese side has expressed anxiety in relation to potential ratification hurdles a deal could face, such as the events that unfolded in the CETA saga.

Malaysia: PM Confident EU-Malaysia FTA Talks Will Resume by End of 2016

| Malaysia is confident that EU-Malaysia free trade talks will resume by the end of 2016, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib stated during an official visit to Germany in late September.

European Commission pushing for closure of CETA

| The European Commissioner for Trade, Cecilia Malmström, hopes to ratify CETA at the EU-Canada summit on October 27.

Brexit revives EU-Japan trade talks

| EU diplomats have hinted that the 17th round of talks on the EU-Japan trade agreement which concluded on 30 September could break the current deadlock.

Trade priorities of the Slovak Presidency

| As of 1st July 2016, Slovakia will take over the presidency of the European Union for the next 6 months.

CETA is a mixed agreement according to Member States

| Member States agreed to consider CETA as a mixed agreement – meaning that some of its provisions fall into the competences of the Member States and not of the European Union.

Council conclusions on responsible global value chains

| In the conclusions adopted by the Council on 12 May 2016, Member States call on the Commission to further support actions aimed at enhancing private sector engagement...

CETA : dispute over granting visa-free travel to Romanian and Bulgarian citizens

| Bucharest and Sofia have made clear that they will not sign the CETA agreement if Canada does not grant their citizens visa-free travel.

Launch of the EU Garment Initiative

| A high-level stakeholder event will take place in Brussels on 25 April 2016 to officially launch the EU Garment Initiative.

Public Consultation on the future of EU-Turkey trade and economic relations

| The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the review of EU-Turkey Customs Union.

EU-Philippines FTA: first round to take place in May 2016

| The first round of negotiations is expected to take place on 23-27 May of this year in Brussels. Most of the chapters will be discussed between the negotiators as...

EP own-initiative report on the Trade Policy Strategy

| The European Parliament will draft an own-initiative report on the review of the Trade Policy Strategy. MEP Tiziana Beghin will present the draft report to the INTA committee at the end of March

MEPs agree on the opening of FTA negotiations with Tunisia

| Members of the European Parliament have given their consent on 25 February 2016 to the launch of free trade negotiations with Tunisia. The

Negotiations on review of the EU-Mexico FTA could start in June

| The European Commission expects a first round of negotiations for the modernisation of the EU-Mexico Global Agreement to take place before the summer 2016, potentially in June.

India: Chief Negotiator meeting planed for January 2016

| EU and Indian Chief Negotiators are expected to meet in January to assess the potential resumption of the trade talks.

Negotiations on a free trade agreement with the Philippines to be officially launched in the coming weeks

| Negotiation teams of the European Commission and the Philippines will meet for the first round of talks in the first half of 2016.

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