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EU negotiator says Canada must give up more to get free-trade deal
22-Feb-2013
Stark differences between Canada and the European Union in their free-trade talks came into focus Thursday when the EU’s chief negotiator said Canada isn’t offering enough concessions to conclude a deal.
Abe readying to announce Japan’s entry into TPP talks
22-Feb-2013
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is making final preparations to announce Japan’s entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade negotiations after holding talks later Friday with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington, government sources said.
Beyond tariffs: EU-EPA negotiations for Namibia
22-Feb-2013 The Namibian
As the European Union economic partnership agreement negotiations gain momentum in southern Africa, countries which want to continue to benefit from EU market access will have to sign and fulfill obligations in line with the EPAs. If Namibia does not finalise a new EPA by 2016, it would fall under one of the schemes of the new Generalised System of Preference that affords it fewer trade concessions.
Libre-échange avec l’Europe: Ottawa doit modifier ses positions, dit Bruxelles
22-Feb-2013 Associated Press
Le commissaire européen au Commerce de l’Union européenne (UE) dit espérer pouvoir conclure rapidement l’entente de libre-échange avec le Canada, mais que pour ce faire, Ottawa doit changer ses positions. Le commissaire n’a cependant donné aucun détail.
Trade Commissioner: EU to seek GIs in US FTA, but no new ACTA
22-Feb-2013 IP Watch
EU trade commissioner Karel De Gucht said he did not want to reopen the discussion on Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), which he called “a nail to my coffin.” As long as there is no respective EU legislation with regard to copyright protection on the internet, he will not try to “bring it in through the backdoor,” he said.
Labor unions reject Colombia-South Korea FTA
21-Feb-2013 Prensa Latina
The signing tomorrow of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Colombia and South Korea raised in Bogotá the rejection of the unions, which see it as an attack on the industry and the productive and agriculture sector.
Reko Diq saga: Balochistan wins again
20-Feb-2013
Amidst continuing violence plaguing Balochistan, there is now a cause of joy for the Baloch people and the government.
Caricom maintains independence in external negotiations
20-Feb-2013
The 15-nation Caribbean Community (Caricom) will be funding all future negotiations itself, according to Guyana’s Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett. She recently informed the 65-seat National Assembly, current negotiations between Caricom and Canada for a Trade and Development Agreement are being funded by the region.
Pacific countries urged to weigh up EPAs
20-Feb-2013
Pacific nations involved in negotiations for an Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union are being warned that while it’s important negotiations are soon concluded, it’s more important to get the right outcome.
Export flexibility with ROO
20-Feb-2013
The rules of origin (ROO) in the context of Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) provides Fijian exporters the maximum flexibility to export Fijian Made and Fijian Grown products into the European Union.
India seeks UK’s support to fast-track FTA with EU
20-Feb-2013
India Tuesday sought Britain’s support for early conclusion of its much-discussed free trade deal with the European Union.
EPA talks at critical stage
20-Feb-2013 The Jet
The European Union has acknowledged the seriousness by both Fiji and her Pacific neighbors who are part of the African Caribbean and Pacific group to conclude negotiations into the Economic Partnership Agreement.
Investors running wild on land: the threats posed by international investment agreements
20-Feb-2013 Traidcraft
A recent briefing note by Traidcraft discusses the threats posed by current regulation of foreign investment in land highlighting that food security and other human rights concerns often come at the cost of excessive protection of foreign investors’ rights.
Plain packaging for cigarettes a legal minefield
18-Feb-2013
Lawsuits are seen as the inevitable next step if plain packaging of cigarettes is brought in. The government will announce a decision on the matter in the next few days.
The EU’s free trade agreements – where are we?
18-Feb-2013 EU
Memo from the European Commission
EU Parliamentarians push RP FTA
18-Feb-2013 Manila Bulletin
Visiting EU Parliamentarians expect the bilateral free trade agreement between the Philippines and EU will be completed in one and a half years as the legislators urged for further opening of the domestic economy to shore up the country’s foreign direct investments and more trade.
Germany calls for sweeping EU-US free trade deal
18-Feb-2013 Reuters
German Economy Minister Philipp Roesler told Der Spiegel magazine on Sunday he and the German government want a sweeping free trade deal, while France and southern EU nations, by contrast, want to protect their agriculture industry with regulations and also keep out genetically modified US foodstuffs, the magazine said.
EU-US free trade deal will dismantle EU public health protections on GM foods
18-Feb-2013 Earth Open Source
An EU-US free trade deal would obliterate EU safeguards for health and the environment with regard to genetically modified (GM) crops and foods, warns Earth Open Source.
New law to deal with compensating foreign investors for expropriation
18-Feb-2013 Business Day
One of the most contentious issues dealt with in a draft new Foreign Investment Bill, which the South African Department of Trade and Industry will present to an interministerial committee in the next few months, will deal with how the South African government will compensate foreign investors in the event of expropriation, deputy director-general of international trade Xavier Carim said on Friday.
CETA Investor-State Dispute Settlement process “anti-democratic, unnecessary and unfair,” says NFU
16-Feb-2013 National Farmers Union
The National Farmers Union is among the labour, environmental, Indigenous, women’s, academic, health sector and fair trade organizations representing over 65 million people from both sides of the Atlantic that have signed a joint statement demanding that Canada and the EU stop negotiating an excessive and controversial investor rights chapter in the proposed Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).