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Israel responded to the EU’s request to convene an Association Council. But not only on human rights
24-Jun-2024 EU News
Israel “is willing to consider” the invitation and “wants to negotiate the agenda,” a senior EU official confirms. But the distance between the parties on the agenda persists.
EU invites Israel to discuss bilateral relations amid Gaza offensives
6-Jun-2024 Yeni Safak
The EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell announced on Wednesday that he has formally invited the Israeli foreign minister to an ad hoc EU-Israel Association Council meeting.
An international law framework for climate-aligned investment governance
3-Jun-2024 CCSI
International Investment and Trade Law should be reformed for climate-aligned investment governance.
Limited appetite among member states for EU trade sanctions on Israel
31-May-2024 Euractiv
Amid growing calls for economic sanctions against Israel in view of the worsening humanitarian toll of its military operations in Gaza, EU trade ministers briefly discussed the issue but remained far from deciding on actual steps.
EU convenes Israel to discuss respect of human rights and ICJ ruling on Rafah
28-May-2024 Euronews
European Union foreign ministers agreed to call for an Association Council with Israel to discuss the country’s compliance with its human rights obligations under the EU-Israel trade deal, also known as the Association Agreement.
Human rights organizations sound alarm as Canada-Ecuador trade talks get underway
1-May-2024 Mining Watch
Surging violence surrounding Canadian mining projects in Ecuador should raise red flags for the Canadian government as it commences trade talks with the Ecuadorian government.
Belgium will lead re-evaluation of EU-Israel trade accord
22-Apr-2024 The National
Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter says her country will lead a "re-evaluation" of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which forms the basis of trade between the bloc and Israel.
UN expert demands EU suspend trade deal with Israel over Gaza genocide
12-Apr-2024 Common Dreams
"Europe is the main trading partner—which accounts I think for 30% of Israel’s trade—so it has a huge power and it should use that power," said UN expert Francesca Albanese.
An urgent call from European trade unions: Suspend the Association Agreement with Israel
3-Apr-2024 ETUN Palestine
We, the undersigned European trade unions, are calling on the EU and European countries to suspend the Association Agreement with Israel as well as bilateral treaties in light of grave violations of human rights by the Israeli Government.
Over 200 European organisations urge immediate suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement amidst Gaza crisis
14-Mar-2024 Comhlamh
About 200 European civil society groups, presented a petition to the EU Commission, the EU Council, and the European Parliament, calling for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
Open letter: Suspending trade agreements and negotiations in response to the ICJ ruling on Gaza
13-Mar-2024 Global Justice Now
UK groups call on the UK government to suspend trade privileges, agreements and negotiations with Israel.
The two faces of free trade
8-Mar-2024 Project Syndicate
Whereas free trade was once the central cause of progressive reformers seeking to combat entrenched interests on behalf of ordinary people, now it is the bête noire of both right-wing nationalists and the mainstream left. To understand why attitudes changed so radically, one must follow the money.
After 30 Years of NAFTA, the Working Classes Are Still Losing
1-Mar-2024 The Nation
Thirty years after NAFTA came into effect in 1994, the economic data suggests a somber conclusion: The three countries’ working classes are worse off today than they were before
Spain and Ireland call for ’urgent review’ of EU-Israel agreement over war in Gaza
15-Feb-2024 Euronews
Prime ministers Pedro Sánchez and Leo Varadkar have asked the European Commission to "undertake an urgent review" of the EU-Israel agreement in light of the war in Gaza and the worsening humanitarian crisis.
Sign on to the letter calling for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement
14-Feb-2024
Suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement!
14-Feb-2024
In light of the deaths and suffering endured by the Palestinian people, a number of civil society organisations came together to draft a letter to European Union decision makers seeking the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
Ireland seeking review of EU-Israel agreement over rights concerns
7-Feb-2024 Reuters
Ireland is in talks with other EU members who want a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement on the basis that Israel may be breaching the agreement’s human rights clause.
A climate-denier Milei and a hypocritical EU-Mercosur pact
22-Jan-2024 Friends of the Earth Europe
In the rush to finalise the controversial EU-Mercosur trade deal before the European elections in June this year, its promoters appear willing to shake hands with Argentina’s new far-right president, Javier Milei — a known climate change denier.
Australia announces trade deal negotiations with UAE, despite human rights and labour concerns
16-Jan-2024 AFTINET
Critics have highlighted that the UAE is only Australia’s 19th largest trading partner, and have said that the economic benefits are outweighed by the reputational risk Australia takes by implicitly endorsing the UAE’s poor human rights and labour practices through an FTA.
Can existing international agreements on ‘investment facilitation’ advance sustainable development, climate action, and human rights?
1-Dec-2023 CCSI
Terminating investment treaties and withdrawing advance consent to ISDS would allow governments to clear the path from problematic treaties centered on investment protection and ISDS, which in practice benefit unsustainable investment.