Changing competences

The European Union often concludes international trade agreements, which contain shared competences with the Member States (the so-called mixed competences agreements), thus they require …

Prospects of a free trade deal with India

During the summer the EU Council published “A Globally Connected Europe”, in which it outlined its geopolitical strategy towards Asia, intending to deepen its …

From FTAs to MRAs: The Potential Pathway forward for the EU and US

The United States lacks a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) with the EU, and the failed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations during …

A new chapter between the EU and Vietnam

In 2019, the European Commission agreed a landmark Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Vietnam, which was ratified by the European Parliament earlier this week. …

Two cheers for the EU-Mercosur Agreement

The new EU-Mercosur Agreement only superficially rejects protectionism. As much as it liberalises trade, it also protects European defensive interests and extends the EU’s …

Two cheers for the EU-Mercosur Agreement

There has been a great deal of cheering over the recent free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur (the South American trade bloc …

Is the EU-Japan EPA an inspiration for an EU-UK deal?

On Tuesday of last week, the European Union and Japan signed an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). Following over four years of negotiation, the EPA …

Time to re-think the EU trade policy

As of 2017, the EU has 44 trade agreements in place with more than 60 countries across the globe. In addition, five accords have …

EU-Australia Free Trade Deal

Earlier this month, a phone-call between EU Trade Commissioner, Cecilia Malström, and the Australian Trade Minister, Steven Ciobo, concluded a year-long scoping exercise on …