Brussels Briefing on Trade

In this latest Brussels Briefing on Trade, Joanna Sopinska – Trade Editor for Eu Trade Insights, provides an overview of the Eu’s most pressing trade issues in the first half of May 2016.

On May 3, Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, will arrive in Brussels to hold meetings with Belgian authorities and the Eu leaders on the preparation of the G7 Summit (May 26-27, Japan). It will be also an opportunity for the Eu and Japanese leaders to address the most contentious issues in the Eu-Japan Fta talks.

On May 4, the Epp Group, joined by Eu Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, will hold a public hearing on the ongoing multilateral negotiations on the Environmental Goods Agreement.

On May 13, Trade Ministers of the Eu member states will gather in Brussels to discuss some of the most pressing Eu trade issues: the Wto post-Nairobi developments, the next steps in the Ttip talks and ways to move to the endgame by the end of 2016, the steel crisis and pending reform of the Eu’s Tdis in the context China’s request for Mes, final steps towards Ceta’s ratification in October, progress in trialogue talks on conflict minerals.

On May 13, Eu and Mercosur are expected to exchange revised market access offers, followed by a meeting of chief negotiators in June or July.