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France puts EU withdrawal from Energy Charter Treaty on the table
4-Feb-2021 Euractiv
The European Union and its member states should draw the consequences of the current stalemate in multilateral talks aimed at reforming the Energy Charter Treaty and consider a coordinated withdrawal, Paris has said
The limits of the EU-China investment agreement
4-Feb-2021 Project Syndicate
The new EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment will eventually be judged by its implementation and the concrete steps China takes to fulfill its promises. If European firms do not perceive any improvement, and China makes no progress on labor standards, the pact might come to represent an empty gesture.
Putting the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) into perspective: Five key points
3-Feb-2021 Institute for International Trade
The CAI will not transform China into an open investment regime nor will it provide new market access opportunities for most European businesses.
EU-UK deal impacts UK’s sovereignty over Northern Ireland and island of Britain
3-Feb-2021 Oped Column Syndication
John Bruton, the former Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland (1994-97) and the former European Union’s Ambassador to the United States (2004-09), writes about how the recently signed EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) impacts the sovereignty of the UK over the island of Britain and Northern Ireland, and also opines that such a deal was perhaps better than a "no-deal" scenario.
Working document on the draft EU-Mercosur Association Agreement
2-Feb-2021 Fern
The following avenues can be envisaged to address the concerns raised by the draft EU-Mercosur agreement.
EU-Canada FTA (CETA): investment court texts (Jan 2021)
1-Feb-2021 European Commission
The EU and Canada adopt rules putting in place the CETA investment court
1-Feb-2021 European Commission
The EU and Canada adopted four decisions putting in place the Investment Court System provisions agreed in the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
EU-India investment agreement?
29-Jan-2021 Euro Intelligence
The EU will be able to strike an investment deal with India, but a full-blown free trade agreement will be a much harder sell, said Portugal’s foreign minister.
Drystock farmers to lose out to increased imports in EU plans for 12 trade agreements
28-Jan-2021 Irish Examiner
It is envisaged sheep meat imports from Australia and New Zealand would result in sheep prices in the EU falling by 1.9% to 3.1%.
As largest FDI recipient, China improves business climate for investors
28-Jan-2021 Global Times
As its economy maintains recovery momentum, the country aims to attract foreign investors this year by encouraging investment in more industries, shortening negative lists for foreign investment, and further expanding the free-trade network.
100+ China experts and human rights activists slam “naïve” EU-China deal for “entrenching Europe’s strategic dependency on China”
27-Jan-2021 Hong Kong Watch
The open statement notes that the agreement appears not to take into account the steep deterioration of rights and freedoms in the mainland.
Ukrainian pig breeders ask to revise quotas on pork imports from EU when revising FTA terms in 2021
25-Jan-2021 Interfax
The Association said that Ukrainian producers are working at a loss due to an oversupply of pork in the EU countries, as well as an increase in the cost of Ukrainian pork by 25%.
Australia new trade minister says UK, EU trade deals priority
25-Jan-2021 Bloomberg
Minister hopes FTAs with UK, EU will be finalised this year.
EU-China trade ties in the spotlight following news of investment pact
22-Jan-2021 IISD
The EU-China agreement-in-principle on investment includes language that would aim to prevent forced technology transfers, and describes a “positive list” approach for market access.
EU-China BIT partial text (Jan 2021)
22-Jan-2021 European Commission
EU-China investment deal lacks teeth on forced labor but could still be derailed
20-Jan-2021 Taiwan News
Potential gains not worth cost of overlooking ’blatant human rights violations’ in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Tibet, and against Taiwan’: French senator
Government of Canada takes next step in compensating Canada’s dairy farmers
20-Jan-2021 Yahoo
The compensation is valued at $1.75 billion to dairy producers for the market access concessions made under CETA and the CPTPP.
Taipei seeks to persuade Europeans for BIA talks
18-Jan-2021 Taipei Times
The government is stepping up efforts to persuade European countries to start bilateral investment agreement talks with Taiwan, as the conditions are ripe, Minister said
Cross-border data exchange: Regulatory options in international collaboration
15-Jan-2021 Federation of German Industries
German industry group BDI wants the EU to ban localization requirements and other limits to the free flow of data across borders.
EU will not ask China to sign forced labor ban before ratifying investment deal, says French minister
13-Jan-2021 Politico
France will insist on a ‘calendar’ for Beijing’s reforms instead.