An ‘orderly’ withdrawal of Britain from the European Union looks increasingly unlikely this summer. Unless both sides find a solution to the Irish border quickly, that is. Or politics in Britain change dramatically. Or the EU changes its approach. Or a bit of everything. Britain had hoped to resolve the Irish …
UK-EU negotiations
(What) a Week in Brussels: Trump, Airbus, CETA, no-deal Brexit
It’s as if everything absolutely had to happen before everyone goes on holiday: inking a deal with Japan, holding a summit with China that actually delivers on a joint statement, launching a WTO reform initiative, introducing steel safeguards, slapping dumping duties on electric bikes and making progress on Mercosur negotiations. …
Week ahead in EU trade: Mercosur, New Zealand, Brexit, China, Japan, Appellate Body
This is a week of summits and negotiations: the EU will start talks with New Zealand, continue discussions with Mercosur and hold high-level meetings with China and Japan (delayed from last week). And toward the end of the week, when the World Trade Organization’s Dispute Settlement Body meets, we might …
Brexit Notes: UK White Paper offers more of the same only in greater detail
All policy people in Europe are looking at the UK’s freshly released White Paper on the future EU-UK relationship released this afternoon in London. The paper was met with caution in Brussels, scepticism in Britain, and rejection by US president Donald Trump. It is basically more of the same – …
For United States investors, Canada ‘dry’ won’t do for future EU-UK deal
AmChamEU, the association representing US businesses invested in the European Union, is urging Brussels and London to step up their efforts to establish a working future economic relationship after Brexit. The moves comes as Britain prepares to release its long-awaited ‘white paper’ on its future relationship with the bloc. The …
A week in Brussels: Australia, Gattaz, Brexit parachute
The EU is transfixed by the trade war with the United States. This week was comparatively quiet in terms of trade meetings or negotiations – but the next couple of weeks will be packed. This week we’ve written on what World Trade Organization members have been telling the US …
‘No deal’ Brexit scenario: EU focus is on preparedness, not contingency planning
There is increased fretting that the UK could crash out of the European Union in a chaotic way next March if no significant progress is made in its withdrawal negotiations with the bloc in the coming months. The EU is not – at the moment – ready to seriously envisage contingency plans. …
Brexit Notes: Article 50 talks see minimal progress as even European business starts panicking
Today, EU and UK Brexit negotiators reiterated they want to avoid value-added tax and atomic Armageddon on 30 March. It has become abundantly clear that the United Kingdom and the EU will not have made sufficient progress on the terms of their separation to warrant a shift to discussions …
Political and Brexit ‘subplots’ underlie technicalities of Oceania FTAs
The EU’s trade talks with Australia and New Zealand will prove to be complex as the future trading relationship between the bloc and the UK – which considers the two countries as high priorities for its own commerce deals – remains unclear. Furthermore, some “subplots” underlie the trade technicalities.
EU tells business to shun UK suppliers for FTA-related exports after March
The European Commission regularly sends notices to businesses to help them prepare for Britain’s departure from the EU as part of its so-called Brexit preparedness activities. A technical notice on ‘rules of origin’ released today is bound to send shivers across industries ranging from autos to chemicals. Industries with …
